Flirting 101
by tranquilitygal95
Summary: JxA. Aelita's taking a class, with multiple teachers, and her dearest wish is to pass. Yumi eggs her on from a distance, and Jeremie's confused beyond belief. When Ulrich and Odd decided to even the playing field, things take a turn for the worse.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: You think _I _own Code Lyoko? I wish!

Chapter 1

Aelita Stones walked down the hallway with her friends, preparing for another brutal gym class. She could see why Jeremie despised it, it seemed like a waste of time. Some of the games were actually quite fun, and she was getting better on Lyoko because of the exercise, but there were other things much more worthwhile she could do in that time.

"So, Jer, you're actually going to P.E?" asked Odd, sniggering.

"Jim's been getting on my case about skipping, and I don't think my grades will save me," said Jeremie, frowning. "I can't believe it, though! I could be working on the antivirus! I'd take that over push-ups any day."

"You've saved Princess dozens of times before, I don't think she'll mind if you take a break," said Ulrich.

"If you can call running around a break," retorted Jeremie.

"It's a lot healthier than burning yourself out in front of a piece of equipment," said Aelita, laughing.

"Not you, too!" moaned Jeremie.

"Sorry, Jeremie," said Aelita, smiling. She leaned over and pecked him on the cheek, hoping to make it a proper apology.

"Oh, er, it's okay," said Jeremie, beet red.

Ulrich and Odd tried their bests to swallow their laughter, but they didn't succeed. They kept this up until they reached the gymnasium, where they would be starting their short self defense unit. Needless to say, Jeremie was less than enthusiastic.

Afterwards, Jeremie had received a few bruises and wasn't in good spirits. Since it had been the final class, he chose to retire to his room instead of going to dinner. Aelita decided to go to her dorm and catch up on her homework, but she knew she'd be fantasizing about a very special genius half the time.

"Aelita, we need to talk."

Aelita's jaw dropped when she stepped into her room. About ten girls were in her dorm, Sissi in the lead. Something wasn't right.

"What's going on?" asked Aelita slowly, dropping her bag to the floor.

"Shut the door, we won't bite," said another girl, Azra, Aelita thought. Aelita did as she was told and sat down in the chair someone had set up in front of her.

"How can we put this tactfully, dear," said Sissi, looking like she was thinking hard. "You need to make your move with that nerd, we're all sick of waiting for it to happen."

"What are you talking about?" asked Aelita, genuinely confused. Make her move?

"You know, flirt with him," said Heidi, perched casually on the bed. "Let him know you're interested, though he should already. We all know you want him."

"Um, well, the thing is..." said Aelita, not finding the right words. Some of this was beginning to make sense.

"Cut the stalling, we're here to help," said Melanie, grinning.

"Help?" asked Aelita uncertainly. Why would these girls help her? Had she done anything?

"As a fellow female being, it's our duty to help you," said Claire jokingly. "There's no romance more destined to happen than the one between you and Jeremie. We don't know why, but we want you to get it over with already!"

"Ahem, me and my Ulrich are ten times more compatible!" said Sissi, offended.

"Sissi, we had a deal!" said Emily threateningly. "You can help us, but no talking about how you're obsessed with Ulrich!"

"He wants me, is it my fault?" asked Sissi, turning her nose up in the air.

"Whatever," said Jean, rolling her eyes. "Back to you, Ms. Stones. First we need a full assessment on the situation."

"What are you talking about?" asked Aelita, wishing Yumi was there to explain things.

"We need to know why you like him, what he does that makes you keep liking him, that sort of thing," said Lola, sitting pleasantly on the floor.

"Er, um," said Aelita, knowing she couldn't answer those questions truthfully without doing major damage. Looks like lying was the only option, or at least a few half-truths. "Jeremie seemed to really care about me when I met him. He still does, sometimes a little too much."

"Aw, isn't that sweet?" asked Naomi, twirling her brown hair in her fingers. "What do you think, girls?"

Whispering darted back and forth across the room; Aelita wondered what she had gotten herself into. If it made Jeremie see she had certain feelings for him, it might be worth it, but it was definitely an uneasy situation.

"So, first step for you to win Jeremie's heart, although you've pretty much done it already, is to flaunt it," said Camille, smirking.

"Um, 'flaunt?'" questioned Aelita, making a mental note to look up Earth slang when this was over.

"Let him know that you know that he knows you like him," explained Emily.

"Come again?" asked Aelita, utterly confused.

"How obvious do we have to make this?" asked Claire, sighing. "You like him. He likes you. Honestly, you two are worse than Yumi and Ulrich!"

"Ahem!" said Sissi angrily.

"Oh, can it, Sissi!" said Azra, growling. "This isn't about you!"

"One of the most common mistakes girls make is over-doing it," said Lola, ignoring the bickering among Sissi and Azra. "In Jeremie's case, especially. He's most likely not used to attention from girls; you've got him baffled enough already. We'll make sure you stay discreet, but noticeable."

"Um, okay?" answered Aelita, bewildered to say the least.

"Good, let's move on," said Heidi. "Sissi, did you bring the supplies?"

"Right here," said Sissi, stopping her argument with Azra and holding up a large case.

"Wh-what's that?" asked Aelita, stricken with fear.

"Aelita, you're a very pretty girl, but to get this done quickly, we'll have to have your cooperation," said Naomi solemnly.

"For what?" inquired Aelita, shrinking into her chair.

The girls didn't answer, they only swooped in and started taking things out of the case, giving a brief explanation for each item before using it.

"This eye shadow will really bring out the green in your eyes."

"Apply this lipstick and he'll be all yours. That's what the magazine said."

"Quit fidgeting, Aelita! This blush will make your cheeks look flawless!"

This went on for about twenty minutes. Aelita tried to stay still despite her fear, but every once in a while, the powder would make her sneeze or the perfume would make her cough.

"Done!" proclaimed Sissi, looking triumphant. She looked at the clock next to the bed. "We've got just enough time to make an appearance at dinner."

"What did you do to me?" asked Aelita, biting her lip.

"Don't, you'll smear the lip gloss!" said Azra frantically. "Don't worry, Jeremie will love it!"

"But, Jeremie's not going to dinner," said Aelita, trying not to move her lips.

"I'll handle him," said Emily, walking out the door.

"What'd she mean by that?" asked Aelita, standing up.

"Relax, it'll be okay," said Lola, smiling encouragingly. "We should get Yumi to calm her down, anyone know where she is?"

"Remember, she took that trip to Japan with her parents?" reminded Claire.

"A nice change of pace, if you ask me," sniffed Sissi.

"Nobody asked you!" replied Melanie menacingly.

"We'll wait a few minutes for Emily to get things set up," said Heidi.

"Good idea," said Jean. Aelita nodded and rubbed her eyes; this crazy plot wiped her out. "Aelita, you'll mess up your mascara!"

"Sorry!" apologized Aelita, keeping her hands clasped and trying not to move. She didn't want to upset them. Who knows what they did to her already.

A soft song rang through the air, and Aelita recognized it as a ring tone. Camille took out her cell phone and answered it.

"Hello?...Are we ready?...Great! I'll send her in!'"

"Come on, Aelita, it's time," said Naomi seriously. Aelita was nervously led to the cafeteria, but halted before they opened the doors.

"What am I supposed to do?" asked Aelita, wringing her hands.

"Female intuition will guide you!" said Heidi. She dramatically opened the doors and pushed her through, hiding herself and the other girls.

Aelita felt herself freeze for the smallest second when she entered the room. She saw her usual table and reasoned that she might as well sit down. She cautiously walked over and sat down next to Jeremie, who was busy trying to explain something about how hard they needed to work while Yumi wasn't around to join them on Lyoko.

"Our Romeo's going nuts 'cause his Juliet's away," said Odd, laughing loudly. Aelita giggled, trying not to cover her hand with her mouth and ruin whatever it was those girls did. Jeremie turned to look at her. He loved it when she laughed. He grasped the table for support the moment he laid eyes on her.

"Aelita," choked out Jeremie. "What did you do?"

"What?" asked Aelita, biting her lip against the other girls' warnings.

"Aelita, you look amazing!" said Ulrich, his eyes wide.

"Are you wearing makeup or something?" asked Odd, knowing Jeremie sure didn't teach her that.

"Uh, I guess so," said Aelita, connecting the girls' comments and the word "makeup." "Is that bad?"

"Well, no," said Jeremie, going red, not believing something this beautiful was sitting right next to him. "But, well, you don't really need it, anyway."

"What do you mean?" asked Aelita, cocking her head to the side.

"Well, makeup is supposed to make girls look prettier," explained Odd, thinking this might be a bit too much for Jeremie. "I think what Einstein means is that you're pretty enough without it."

"Jeremie, you're so sweet!" said Aelita, pulling him into a hug, making him blush more.

"Hey, I translated!" said Odd indignantly.

"Here you go," said Ulrich, ruffling his hair up.

"Aaagh!" yelped Odd, trying desperately to fix it. "Ulrich!"

"Well, so much for us working hard in Yumi's absence," said Jeremie, moving his potatoes around and trying not to gawk at Aelita.

"We'll be good," said Odd angelicly, obediently spooning his soup into his mouth.

"Yeah, sounds like Mission Impossible," said Jeremie, snorting. Aelita laughed, then stopped. What was she supposed to do now?

"Uh, could you excuse me for a moment?" asked Aelita

"Sure, Aelita," said Jeremie, but she was already making a dash for the exit.

"Well?" said Azra when Aelita came rushing out.

"I don't know if he liked it," said Aelita. "What did you do to me?"

"You're kidding!" said Sissi, stamping her foot. "That geek has no taste!"

"Don't insult him!" said Aelita, walking up to her and staring her in the eye. "He has more of a backbone than you ever will!"

"Calm down!" said Melanie, standing between them. "Okay, make-up didn't work. We'll have to work on the way you act around him.

"What are you going to do now?" asked Aelita worriedly.

"You'll see," said Melanie. "Just follow our instructions to the letter. Jeremie will be all yours."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Code Lyoko is soooo not mine.

Chapter 2

"Guys, I think something's wrong with Aelita," said Jeremie after she left. "Has she mentioned anything to you?"

"No, not a word," said Ulrich.

"Today's been really weird," said Jeremie. "First Emily comes and practically drags me out of my dorm to eat dinner, without explanation, then Aelita shows up looking, well..."

"Eat your heart out, Einstein," said Odd, guffawing.

"Cool it, Della Robbia," said Jeremie. "I'm just worried about her, that's all."

"Sure," said Ulrich, smirking.

"I'm going to go work in my room," said Jeremie, pushing his tray towards Odd, who dove into it greedily. "Let me know if you hear anything suspicious."

Ulrich and Odd nodded. Jeremie slipped out of his seat and left the cafeteria.

"Love stinks," mumbled Jeremie, as he slid in front of his computer.

* * *

"What's wrong with the way I act?" asked Aelita defensively.

"You're way too shy!" said Emily, crossing her arms. "You're gonna have to spell it out for Jeremie. We'll help you."

"Why are you guys doing this for me?" asked Aelita.

"Because we're way too irritated with waiting for you two to go out!" answered Jean. "You've been running around in circles ever since you came to Kadic, we're putting an end to it. Call it a friendly favor."

"Moving on," said Heidi in a business-like manner. They were in Aelita's room by now. "When Jeremie says something nice to you, from now on, you reward him."

"Reward him?" asked Aelita. "Isn't that what people do to dogs to get them to behave?"

"Guys are the same way," said Lola simply.

"I'm not treating Jeremie like a dog!" said Aelita angrily.

"Calm down, Aelita!" said Naomi. "All we're saying is, when Jeremie compliments you, kiss him on the cheek, give him a hug, or hold his hand. He'll love it."

"Okay," said Aelita, hoping she could pull it off. "What else do I need to know?"

"Strap on your seatbelt, it's gonna be a long night," said Claire. Aelita gulped.

* * *

"Hey, Odd, have you seen Aelita?" hissed Jeremie as they entered Ms. Meyer's classroom.

"Nope, she wasn't at breakfast," said Odd, opening his notebook so he could doodle Kiwi.

"Where could she be?" asked Jeremie. Aelita stepped into the classroom at that moment, having overslept. She was tired from her session with the other girls, but when she looked at them in her class, they looked completely unfazed. Did they need sleep?

"Thank you for joining us, Aelita," said Ms. Meyer sarcastically. "Take your seat."

Aelita walked over to Jeremie and sat in the desk, propping her head up with one hand and attempting to concentrate on the board.

"Aelita, are you okay?" whispered Jeremie, covering her free hand with his.

"Just peachy," said Aelita, looking at him. "I spent all night studying, I'm just a little tired."

"It's not good for you to go without sleep," said Jeremie, concern written on his face.

"Says the boy who sleeps an average of five hours a week," retorted Aelita, smiling.

"Touché," said Jeremie, grinning at her.

"Jeremie!" said Ms. Meyer, rapping her knuckles on the board. "Answer the question, since you feel like chatting!"

"What?" said Jeremie, surprised. He wasn't one to get in trouble with the teacher. "Oh. _A_ equals five to the seventh power."

"Correct, now pay attention!" said Ms. Meyer, continuing the lesson on exponents.

Aelita felt something hit the back of her head; a paper ball. She looked behind her and saw Heidi mouthing the words: _Remember last night's lesson!_ _Compliment his strengths!_

"That was really good, Jeremie," said Aelita, setting her hand on his arm. "I'm impressed."

"Oh, it was nothing," said Jeremie, slightly pink. Aelita discreetly bent down and picked up the paper ball, opening it up. Scrawled in purple marker was: _Ask for help, even if you don't need it._

"Uh, Jeremie, I'm having trouble understanding this," said Aelita. "Perhaps you could tutor me later?"

"Well, sure, Aelita," said Jeremie, but he couldn't understand. Aelita lived and breathed math and computers, why would she need tutoring for eighth grade mathematics?

"Alright, class, don't forget to do your worksheets, due tomorrow!" Ms. Meyer reminded as the bell rang.

Aelita noticed some of the girls who were "helping" her gathering together in the corner while the teacher had gone to another classroom. Aelita purposefully dropped her books and bent down to pick them up, Jeremie more than willing to do the same.

"Oh, don't wait for me, Jeremie," said Aelita, Jeremie handing her a book on French history. "I'll be right with you, go on to class."

"You sure?" asked Jeremie, looking for any excuse to be with her and make sure no harm came her way.

"I'll be fine," Aelita assured, grinning at him. This satisfied him and he stood up, giving her a book on biology.

"Aelita!" said Camille, the girls turning to look at her the moment Jeremie left. "How was it?"

"Well, I found the lecture kind of dull, and I just want to get the homework out of the way--" said Aelita, but her answer was greeted with groans.

"She meant with Jeremie!" Sissi said exasperatedly. "For Mrs. Einstein, you sure are slow!"

"Well, um, I asked him to tutor me," said Aelita, ignoring Sissi's insult.

"Excellent work, Ms. Stones," said Claire. "After our last class we'll all meet in your room and help you prepare."

"Prepare for what?" asked Aelita quizzically.

"Your study date!" said Melanie. "Which is practically a date anyway! You've got to look perfect!"

"I've got a date with Jeremie?" asked Aelita, bewildered. Since when were exponents romantic? It didn't seem any different from the countless nights she spent at the factory with him, were those considered dates, as well?

"Of course!" said Jean. "Go on to class, if we all come in at the same time, it'll look suspicious."

Aelita nodded obediently and left the room, part excited, part confused, and part worried. Excited at the prospect of going on an actual date with Jeremie, something she'd wanted for a long time. Confused because it meant acting in ways she wasn't used to. Worried because she couldn't make heads or tails of Jeremie's reaction to all of this, and if she was doing the right thing.

Aelita sighed and leaned against a wall. There was only one thing to do at a time like this. Call for backup.

"Please pick up," said Aelita, getting out her cell phone. "Yumi!"

"Aelita?" Yumi asked, her voice sounding muffled over the phone. "This better be important, my parent's are gonna kill me for the long distance-Hiroki, don't mess with that!"

"Yumi, I'm in a lot of trouble," said Aelita miserable, sitting down with her books in her lap. She told her everything, the girls, the make-up, the tutoring, everything. Yumi didn't interrupt once. "What do I do?"

"Aelita, you've got yourself in quite a mess," said Yumi gravely. "And as much as I hate to say it, I think you should keep taking these little sessions with the girls in your class. Even Sissi. It's about time you and Jeremie got together, and they've got the resources to make it happen."

"Okay, I'm going to be late for class, I gotta go," said Aelita, ending the call and standing up. She had less than four hours to get ready for her "date," and she didn't plan on wasting any of it.

* * *

"Okay, Aelita, you're ready."

Aelita, remembering the drill, avoided touching her face at all costs. She had to leave for Jeremie's dorm in five minutes, and the girls insisted on reviewing and adding finishing touches.

"Remember, laugh at anything that sounds remotely like a joke," said Emily, checking the clock every few seconds.

"And try to keep some sort of physical contact going at all times," said Lola. "Hold his hand, have your knees touch, something like that."

"Did you forget the most important part?" asked Naomi.

"No," said Aelita. "I'm really nervous, though."

"Relax, it's just Jeremie," said Sissi, flipping a page in her magazine.

"She just happens to be in love with him!" shot Azra.

"I don't want to be late," said Aelita; she didn't want another argument. She grabbed her backpack and escorted the girls out. They wished her luck and watched her go, Azra and Sissi still fighting.

"Hi, Aelita," said Jeremie, opening his door after she knocked. His breath caught in his throat; was she even more beautiful than usual? It didn't look like she was wearing cosmetics, but she looked amazing, nonetheless.

"Hi, Jeremie," said Aelita. "Thanks again for helping me."

"No problem," said Jeremie, stepping aside to let her in. For some strange reason, he wanted to work extra hard not to embarrass himself in front of her tonight.

Aelita sat next to him on the bed and opened her book, then remembering what Lola said. She scooted closer to him and let their arms touch. Jeremie was explaining about the base and the power, not really noticing.

"And there you have it, that's exponents," said Jeremie, after about five more minutes of talking.

"Thanks, Jeremie, you're the best!" said Aelita, tilting her head and kissing his cheek. Jeremie went red and started babbling, trying to cover up his surprise.

"Oh, uh, well, you see," said Jeremie, but he was out of words to use. Aelita giggled, thinking he was trying to make a joke.

"Jeremie, you're so sweet," said Aelita, closing her book. "Um, I guess I better go now before Jim catches me. See you tomorrow?"

"Absolutely," said Jeremie, trying not to go red at her compliment.

Aelita smiled and set her hand on his neck. She turned his head and kissed him gently, moving her fingers over his throat and hearing him gasp. She didn't want to stop, but she heard Jim yelling at Odd and Ulrich a few doors away. Aelita hesitantly pulled away, a bright blush on her face. She couldn't compare to Jeremie, however.

"Well, good night, Jeremie," said Aelita, grabbing her notebook and standing up. Jeremie didn't reply, he was still in shock. Aelita quietly slipped out of the room, and was faced with ten girls, all looking expectant.

"Well?" asked Sissi impatiently.

"I was barely in there ten minutes, was all that preparation really necessary?" asked Aelita in a whisper, she did not want Jeremie to overhear them.

"Did you do what we told you to?" asked Claire, already starting to walk back to Aelita's dorm.

"Yes," said Aelita. "But I--"

"Then you've done your job," said Heidi. "So, what was it like when he said it?"

"Said what?" Aelita asked. They were confusing her even more than usual.

"That he loved you!" Azra said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "If you kissed him like we told you to, he should have said that!"

"He didn't say anything," Aelita told them. "He froze up when I stopped."

"Girls, we seriously overestimated this boy," said Camille sadly. "It appears we have to resort to plan C. Looking nice didn't work. Flirting didn't work. We have no choice."

"What's plan C?" asked Aelita, wondering why they were all nodding in agreement.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of it," said Melanie, slinging an arm over Aelita's shoulders in a friendly way. "Why don't you go and get a good night's sleep. Everything will fall into place, trust us."

Aelita was by nature a trusting person, but even so, the advice they had given her so far wasn't exactly working out. She did trust Yumi, though, and Aelita grudgingly nodded her head, opening the door to her room and bidding them goodnight. Although she had only been on Earth for a while now, she knew tomorrow would be a long day.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko

Chapter 3

"Good morning, Jeremie," Aelita greeted as she caught the eye of her favorite programmer the next morning at breakfast. Jeremie turned red and mumbled something, no doubt remembering last night's events.

"Is something the matter, Jeremie?" asked Ulrich, noticing his peculiar behavior. Odd looked up from his banana just long enough to hear Jeremie's reply.

"No, nothing," said Jeremie, avoiding eye contact with Aelita. She sighed; winning his affections was harder than she thought.

Her mentors were just as distant with her. All throughout the day, whenever she tried to talk to them and find out what Plan C was, they would find an excuse to leave or start talking to someone nearby, making it impossible to cut in.

After her last class Aelita slumped into a bench, exhausted. She'd take a quick break before trying to find one of the girls. A shadow fell over her, and Aelita looked up. A boy from her science class, she thought his name was Theo, was looking down at her.

"Oh, hello, Theo," said Aelita cheerfully. "Have you seen Lola any-"

Aelita had no choice but to stop talking. She discovered that it was quite difficult to continue a conversation when you're being kissed. Why Theo was now holding her waist and massaging her lips with his was a complete mystery to Aelita, and she had a gut instinct to slap him, but she couldn't. Theo had grabbed both of her hands with one of his own to make her stand up, and hadn't let go. After a few seconds Theo broke it off, winked at her, and ran away.

Aelita stood there, rooted to the ground, and tried to analyze what just happened. She looked around, as if to find some sign telling her what just happened. Instead, she found Jeremie standing next to Emily, who was pointing in her direction. Jeremie's jaw was hanging down, his fists were clenched, and Aelita could tell by his face that he was angry. He closed his mouth and looked down at the ground, before turning on his heel and leaving.

"Well done, Aelita!" said Naomi, running up to her. In the blink of an eye, nine other girls joined her, all congratulating her.

"What just..." said Aelita, but she was too rattled to finish. "Why did Theo...Why was Jeremie...What's he going to..."

"Aelita, it's all part of the plan!" said Claire. "Did you see Jeremie's face? He's completely jealous!"

"Wha-Why?" spluttered Aelita, feeling weak in the knees.

"I made sure Jeremie saw Theo kiss you," said Emily proudly. "Claire agreed to do his homework for three days if he helped us out."

"J-Jeremie, he was s-so angry," said Aelita, trembling.

"Well of course he was angry, that was the idea!" said Azra. "Hopefully this'll give Jeremie the drive to confess his feelings to you."

"If it doesn't then we've got one tough case," said Camille solemnly.

"That geek better tell her!" said Sissi. "I don't feel like going to Plan D!"

"Oh no, not today," said Aelita, trying her best to keep her cool. "Listen, I'm really grateful and all for all you've done for me, but I just need some time to think. We'll talk tomorrow, but I'm too tired to scheme anymore."

Aelita ignored their gasps and complaints, leaving for her dorm, letting a tear fall down. Was all this really worth being with Jeremie? She'd dive head first into the Digital Sea to save him from Xana in a heartbeat, but this was a new kind of torture. Aelita didn't understand half of what was going on; the only reason she was still playing along was because Yumi said so.

Flopping onto her bed and throwing her books to the ground, Aelita sobbed into her pillow and cried herself to sleep, wishing that this was all a bad dream and she'd wake up soon.

* * *

Jeremie flung his many CD's and programs off his desk, so he could bang his fist on it without breaking anything. He loathed himself, Theo, and whatever caused Aelita to break his heart like that. He couldn't believe it! One day Aelita's in his room kissing _him_, the next, she's lip-locking with some random guy in the courtyard!

"Einstein, what's with all the racket?" asked Odd, waltzing in with Ulrich. He took in the mess and Jeremie's shaking form. "Woah, what bug crawled up your butt?"

"What happened, Jeremie?" asked Ulrich, smacking Odd upside the head.

"Aelita's new boyfriend, that's what!" yelled Jeremie, the whole thing hitting him as he said those words. Aelita wasn't just not in love with him, she was in love with someone else. She was gone.

"Jeremie, quit kidding around," said Ulrich nervously. "We all know the only boyfriend she'd ever have would be you."

"Since when do I have brown hair, play soccer, and go by the name Theo?" asked Jeremie, too furious to blush.

"Nuh uh!" said Odd, horrified. "I know Theo's a ladies man, but there's no way he hooked up with Aelita!"

"Well, seeing as they were just kissing, I doubt that!" retorted Jeremie.

"Slow down, Jeremie, tell us the whole story," said Ulrich.

"Okay," said Jeremie, trying to calm down. "I was walking back to my dorm after classes ended and Emily dragged me out to the courtyard without a word. She told me to look at the bench and I saw Theo holding Aelita and kissing her. He stopped and walked away like he did it all the time, and I ran away."

"Okay, so it sounds pretty bad when you say it like that," said Ulrich, looking down.

"How else can you say it?" asked Jeremie angrily.

"Jeremie, you know the only reason you're mad is because you're jealous," said Odd, grinning.

"Of what?" asked Jeremie venomously. "I just don't want Aelita to get hurt! Odd, you said it yourself, Theo's a ladies man, and I don't want her to get treated like a piece of garbage!"

"Okay, Odd, let's speak slowly," said Ulrich. "You. Love. Aelita. You. Want. Her. To. Love. You. Back."

"I do not!" said Jeremie, heat rising to his cheeks.

"LIAR!" shrieked Odd, making everyone jump. "Sorry, just wanted your attention."

"Odd, do that again and I'll wring your neck," said Jeremie, his hand over his heart.

"Admit it, Einstein, you're crazy about her," said Odd, brushing away the threat. "Even more than Ulrich and Yumi!"

"Odd," said Ulrich dangerously. "Don't worry, Jeremie, we'll help you out."

"What do you mean?" asked Jeremie nervously.

"We'll teach you everything we know about flirting," said Odd. "And Aelita will be all yours."

"Odd, I've seen enough movies to know that trick never works out," said Jeremie, backing away.

"Yeah, but the movies never had us in them!" said Ulrich. "We'll bring in some of the guys from class and you'll get a bunch of different advice. Face it, Jer, girls aren't your thing."

"No way, I don't have time to take Flirting 101," said Jeremie. "I've got to work on the antivirus."

"So you want Aelita to be free and dating Theo?" asked Odd. "You can take a break, it won't kill you."

"Forget it, I'm not doing it," said Jeremie, sitting in his chair and turning the computer on.

"You'd stop freezing up every time she kissed you," said Ulrich. Jeremie tensed and turned around.

"How'd you know about that?" asked Jeremie, turning red.

"We all saw how you acted around her this morning," said Ulrich. "I know you like her, but you don't blush _every_ time she comes around. It wasn't too hard to figure out what must have happened. And, seeing as you're so shy, you must have frozen up. We can help you get over that."

Jeremie was about to give a snappy comeback, but he thought for a moment. To have Aelita kiss him for once, just once, and still keep the ability to move and speak would be nice.

"I'm going to regret this, but fine," said Jeremie, not looking at him. He did hear them cheer, though.

"Just sit back, we'll take care of everything!" said Odd. "Your cyber-sweetheart will be all yours!"

They left, high-fiving each other out the door. Jeremie groaned, hoping this wouldn't make things worse than they already were. He'd do anything for Aelita, though.

* * *

Aelita lifted her head off her damp pillow, knowing she'd slept far too long. She glanced at the clock. It was 3 AM. Her stomach grumbled, she had missed dinner. Sitting up and stretching, she stood up to go get a glass of water. It wasn't food, but it might keep her satiated until breakfast.

She stumbled through the hallways, trying hard not to think about Jeremie, but that was easier said than done. Aelita couldn't stop thinking about the look on his face earlier. It scared her, to see him like that. Lost in her own mind, she walked right into someone.

"Sorry," said Aelita, rubbing her eyes. Someone echoed it right afterwards. It was Theo, in his pajamas.

"Sorry 'bout that," said Theo, not really noticing her.

"Theo, could I have a word?" asked Aelita calmly.

"Oh, hey, Aelita, sure," said Theo, yawning.

"Why'd you kiss me?" Aelita asked.

"Because Claire offered to do my homework," said Theo. "Since it's you and all, I only made it for three days, not a week."

"Me?" asked Aelita, surprised.

"Yeah," said Theo. "I jumped at the chance, any guy would. In fact, if you're not doing anything Friday-"

Aelita knew where he was headed, she had seen Odd pull that line many times. Reaching her hand out and finding his face, she felt his cheek for a few seconds, trying to remember the exact location.

"So, is that a yes?" asked Theo, shivering slightly.

Aelita didn't answer, she merely pulled back her hand. She brought it back with amazing force, feeling a tooth crack under the pressure.

"_What was that for?!_" Theo thundered, falling to his knees and holding his jaw.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I own a TV. Not a jet. A printer. Not Code Lyoko.

Chapter 4

Jeremie's body rose out of bed by itself, waking up the boy rather rudely. He looked at his alarm clock, and wondered why he had woken up hours before breakfast even started, let alone classes. Something told him he needed to be awake, though, and not in his room. Thinking a quick walk couldn't hurt, Jeremie walked out the door, not knowing where he was headed, just letting his feet guide him.

Jeremie stopped when he heard a small crash. Was Jim around? He heard an exchange of apologies, and recognized those voices. Ducking behind the wall and peering around the corner, he saw Aelita and Theo standing next to each other. Theo was in his PJ's, but Aelita was in her day clothes, and it looked like she had slept in them.

"Theo, could I have a word?" asked Aelita, and Jeremie felt guilty. This was a private conversation, and he wasn't raised to eavesdrop. But he couldn't help it, and he stayed where he was.

"Oh, hey, Aelita, sure," was Theo's response.

"Why'd you kiss me?" Jeremie froze. Had he heard Aelita right? Come to think of it, she did look surprised when Theo started kissing her by the bench.

"Because Claire offered to do my homework," Theo explained. Jeremie wondered what this had to do with kissing Aelita, but waited for him to continue. "Since it's you and all, I only made it for three days, not a week."

"Me?" asked Aelita, and Jeremie found himself rooted to the ground.

"Yeah," said Theo. "I jumped at the chance, any guy would. In fact, if you're not doing anything Friday-"

Jeremie bit back a yell. Now the creep was trying to ask her out? He looked around the corner again, squinting his eyes, and saw something much worse.

Even with the scarce light, Jeremie could see Aelita caressing Theo's face gently. He felt like a knife had just stabbed his stomach, as if he were about to throw up. He didn't want to be here, he didn't want to see this-

Until five seconds later, when Aelita's hand collided with Theo's cheek. Jeremie heard Theo yell at her and cry in pain. His joy was short-lived, however, when he saw Theo grab the front of Aelita's dress.

In an instant Jeremie was behind Theo, grabbing his neck with one hand and pulling him away from Aelita.

"Don't. Ever. Touch. Her. Again," hissed Jeremie, gripping his neck tighter. Theo gasped for air and Jeremie threw him to a wall, letting him land in a heap.

Aelita watched the scene unfold in wonder and fear. Jeremie had the exact same expression on his face as he did in the courtyard. She didn't know where he had gotten the strength to do that, and she didn't really care.

"Aelita, come with me," said Jeremie, holding his hand out to her. She had fallen to the ground when Theo pulled her down, and took Jeremie's hand to stand up. She winced at the contact. "Give me your left one."

Aelita looked at her right hand as she stood up. It was slightly bloody, which frightened her.

Jeremie led her to the bathrooms, opening up the door to the boy's one for her. If he was caught in the girl's bathroom, he was no better off than Theo, but no boy at Kadic ever used the bathrooms at night. He couldn't take her to the infirmary, it wouldn't be open until the morning.

He turned on the cold water and held her hand under it. She yelped, but then relaxed. Jeremie grabbed a paper towel and dried Aelita's hand, taking care not to hurt her. Aelita was astounded at his turn from violence to softness in mere seconds, but was also glad.

Jeremie threw the paper towel away and took Aelita's good hand, escorting her back to her dorm. He was silent the whole time, as if he were contemplating something.

"Jeremie, I-" Aelita started when they reached the door, but Jeremie shushed her and mouthed the word _Jim_. She nodded and walked inside, smiling at him as he waved goodbye.

* * *

Aelita jerked awake the next morning, due to the ringing of her cell phone. She groaned, not having gotten a very good sleep and answered it.

"Aelita?" Jeremie's voice asked.

"Oh, Jeremie?" asked Aelita, stifling a yawn. "Good morning."

"Good morning," said Jeremie, and even over the phone, Aelita could hear him typing away. "I wanted to walk with you to breakfast, I don't want you to be alone."

"Okay," said Aelita, blushing. "Let me get ready, and I'll call you back."

"Okay, bye," said Jeremie, hanging up. Aelita sighed, then jumped when she heard a knock on the door. Her teachers paraded in, all looking triumphant.

"We heard about last night," said Sissi smugly. "Everyone did, Theo's in the hospital with a bruised neck. I managed to convince my father that he fell down the stairs and must have dreamed Jeremie strangled him. Which, wasn't too hard to do, considering what a wimp Belpois is."

"So, tell us everything!" said Melanie excitedly. "As you can imagine, Theo can't talk, and all the guys are trying to pry it out of Jeremie right now!"

"Spill it!" encouraged Jean, sitting on the bed.

"I was just leaving my room to get a drink of water," said Aelita, shrugging. They looked at her eagerly, and she decided to get it over with. "I ran into Theo, asked him why he kissed me, he asked me out, I slapped him, he grabbed my dress, Jeremie came out of nowhere and pulled him off by the neck, yelled at him, threw him against the wall, cleaned my hand up because I slapped Theo too hard, then walked me back to my room. Happy?"

Loud shrieks and squeals pierced the air, and Aelita covered her ears. Were girls always so loud?

"That's so romantic!" sighed Emily.

"A bloody hand and a bruised neck is romantic?" asked Aelita, an eyebrow raised.

"Jeremie rescued you!" said Heidi. "_That's_ romantic!"

"Just out of curiosity, what's Plan D?" asked Aelita, somewhat afraid to know the answer.

"Plan D was to put you in fake mortal danger and have Jeremie rescue you," said Azra. "But, that already happened last night, and it was real, so we'll have to go to Plan E."

"How many plans are there?" asked Aelita incredulously.

"If we go through them all you'll find out, won't you?" countered Camille. "However, we're not quite prepared yet, so we'll save it for another day."

"Good, because I need to get ready," said Aelita. Then she added, rather proudly, "Jeremie's waiting for me."

"Aww!" said Claire, sighing. "All right, girls, let's get moving."

* * *

Jeremie hung up his phone and turned back to his computer. People had been asking him all morning what happened with Theo, but Jeremie refused to talk. He was about to resume working when he heard the door swing open.

"Jeremie, meet your advisors in amour, your lecturers in love, your instructors in infatuation, your-" said Odd, babbling on as Jeremie whirled around. Ulrich covered his mouth with his hand and cut in.

"What the oddball means is, meet your teachers," said Ulrich, motioning for someone to come in. Jeremie closed his work, always careful to keep a secret, and his eyes widened at the many boys who were now in his room. Ulrich started counting them off. "We have Alexandre, Romain, Bastien, Jean-Baptiste, Thomas, Christophe, and...William."

Ulrich seemed to shudder at the last one, but did his best to keep a straight face. Yumi was all the way in Japan; there was no reason he and William couldn't call a temporary truce, for the sake of Jeremie and Aelita.

"Is this really necessary?" asked Jeremie sheepishly.

"Come on, Jeremie, we've seen the way you look at Aelita," said Christophe, listening to his CD player. "Isn't handling a few sessions in flirting worth it?"

Jeremie had no verbal answer, he only blushed. This only gave the boys more motivation.

"Jeremie, as your mentors, we'll do our best to keep Theo away from Aelita," promised Bastien. "But you've got to cooperate."

"Fine," said Jeremie immediately. Anything to keep Aelita safe.

"Excellent," said Thomas. "Let's get started. Plan A: Your New Look."

"Woah, what do you mean 'new look?'" asked Jeremie, getting a bad feeling from this.

"First off, your glasses," said Alexandre. "We've got a set of contacts right here."

Jeremie was taken aback at the thought of trading in his glasses at first. But what girl would be in love with a four-eyed geek? Hesitantly, he took the contacts and removed his glasses, trying to get used to his new vision tools.

"It's a whole new Einstein!" joked Odd, laughing. Jeremie sighed and set his trusty glasses on the desk, wondering what else they had in store for him.

"Okay, one last thing before class starts," said Jean-Baptiste. He took out a bottle and sprayed the contents on Jeremie, making him cough and his eyes water.

"W-what is that?" asked Jeremie, coughing into his sleeve.

"Cologne," explained Odd. "Midnight Danger. What d'you think?"

"I think that stench is gonna knock Aelita out!" said Jeremie, his nose burning. "Did you have to put on so much?"

"Aelita will love it," said Romain, nodding. Jeremie's cell phone rang, giving a great distraction.

"Hello?" asked Jeremie, silently thanking whoever was on the other end. "Oh, hi, Aelita. You're ready? Okay, I'll be right over."

"See, you've already got a date with her!" said Ulrich, smirking.

"I'm just walking with her to keep her safe," said Jeremie, blushing.

"Uh huh," said William, smiling. "Go on, Romeo. Time to pick up your princess."

Jeremie went redder and stood up, grabbing his laptop case and books. He mumbled something about using the cologne as a stink bomb, making everyone laugh. The teachers and the student marched out of the room; Jeremie heading for the girl's dormitory, the boys heading for the cafeteria. Jeremie knocked on the door rather reluctantly, bracing himself for what might happen.

"Good morning, Jeremie," said Aelita, opening the door. She was suddenly extremely confused. "Jeremie, why are you going to breakfast without your glasses? Don't you need them to see?"

"Oh, uh, my parents sent me a set of contacts," lied Jeremie. What was he supposed to tell her? He was mad about her so he was taking a class on love? That was a pathetic reason, even if it was the truth. "They work just as well as glasses. How's your hand?"

"Oh, okay," said Aelita. She glanced at her hand, which was fine now. "It's fine, no damage."

Personally, she preferred Jeremie's glasses, they were apart of him to her. Magnifying his blue eyes didn't hurt, either. Aelita was confused for another reason as well. Jeremie _reeked_! What happened to him? Did Theo get hold of him and throw him in the dumpster? This thought scared Aelita; she didn't want Jeremie getting hurt.


	5. Chapter 5

Code Lyoko is not mine.

Chapter 5

"Hey, Mr. and Mrs. Einstein!" said Odd cheerfully as Jeremie and Aelita entered the cafeteria. "What have you two been up to? We've been worried sick!"

"Very funny, Odd," said Jeremie, sliding his tray in front of him.

"Can you believe it's already February?" asked Ulrich, sighing.

"What, you're sad because you can't send Yumi a valentine?" asked Odd, sniggering.

"Oh, and you've already got one?" asked Jeremie disbelievingly.

"Of course!" said Odd proudly. "I'm gonna try it again with Melanie."

"Haven't you tried that twice already?" asked Aelita.

"Third time's the charm!" said Odd. "And what about you, Princess? Who's your valentine?"

"I'm, uh, just trying not to think about what happened last year," said Aelita, staring at her pancakes.

"Yeah, that was scary," said Jeremie. "You haven't gotten any strange gifts, have you?"

"No, none," said Aelita.

"You seemed so thrilled last year when you thought that necklace was from Jeremie," commented Odd. He grinned. "I wonder why."

Aelita and Jeremie turned crimson, and went to a last resort. Giving it her all, Aelita kicked Odd's shin underneath the table, Jeremie doing the same with Ulrich.

"OW!" yelled the two roommates, clutching their legs.

"If you slap as hard as you kick, Aelita, Theo won't be around for a long time," mumbled Odd, wincing as he touched his shin.

"We deserved it, Odd," said Ulrich. "We tease them enough already."

"You really know how to take the fun out of things!" said Odd, frowning. "Is it my fault Jeremie and Aelita are so in love with each other?"

"Well, I guess not," said Ulrich, smirking at the flushed geniuses sitting next to him. "They are pretty adorable now that you mention it."

Aelita was no longer hungry, but she couldn't exactly leave, either, without looking foolish. Sneaking a glance at Jeremie, she saw his face was bright red. If he was embarrassed, did that mean he liked her? Were all these sessions with the girls paying off?

Anxious for something to do, Aelita bent down and rifled through her backpack, and found a folded note inside. In bright pink cursive was the sentence: _Go with your gut instinct._ Aelita knew one of her teachers must have put it there. What was her gut instinct? To leave and go to class to avoid further embarrassment? To kiss Jeremie right here on the spot?

"I'm going to go to class," said Jeremie, sliding his tray to Odd. "Coming Aelita?"

"Mm hm,"said Aelita, sliding her tray to Odd as well.

An awkward silence dawned on them as they walked out of the cafeteria. Neither of them knew how to handle that kind of pressure, they just weren't used to it. They were usually so comfortable around each other, and they wanted it to stay that way. The distance between them now wasn't just because of Jeremie's nauseating cologne.

"Say, Aelita, um, ha-have you, uh, gotten a valentine yet?" asked Jeremie, trying to cut the tension.

"Well, no," confessed Aelita. "Have you?"

"Me?" asked Jeremie, surprised. A nerd getting a valentine? That would never happen. "No."

"Oh, okay," said Aelita, scratching the back of her head. At least no one else was pining for him like she was.

Jeremie nodded and felt relief wash over him. He was safe, for now. He didn't want to be jealous like last year, that was just too crazy.

Then a thought, not a very good one, came to him. What if Aelita was lying? She had seen what he had done to the last guy who asked her out, what if she'd found a new boyfriend and didn't want him to know about it?

Jeremie shook his head, trying to get rid of the notion. Angels didn't lie. Aelita didn't keep secrets from him, she told him everything. Above all else, he had to believe her.

"Jeremie, you must be daydreaming," said Aelita, bringing him back to Earth. "What's on your mind?"

"Oh, Lyoko, Xana, you know," lied Jeremie. There were certain times when he had to be dishonest with her. That didn't mean he liked it.

"Right," said Aelita, but she knew better. She could tell when someone was lying to her, and it hurt that Jeremie couldn't tell her the truth. Then again, she wasn't being completely straightforward with him, either.

"Uh, after you," said Jeremie, standing aside to let her in to the classroom.

"Thank you," said Aelita, trying to keep the disappointment out of her voice.

* * *

"You know Jeremie will throw us to the Krabes if he finds out about this," muttered Odd nervously.

"That's why he's not going to find out," whispered Ulrich. He cleared his voice and began addressing the others. "Okay, guys, you all know the plan."

"Why aren't you writing one, too?" asked William, smirking.

"Jeremie knows our handwriting," explained Odd, keeping Ulrich a safe distance away. "The whole point is for us not to get caught."

"I thought it was to write Aelita fake valentines to get Jeremie steamed," said Romain, looking up from his big red heart.

"Well, yes," said Ulrich, glaring at William and forgetting the truce. "But that's all over if Jeremie gets wind of what we're doing. Now make sure to write it from the heart, we want Jeremie as envious as humanly possible."

"As long as we don't end up like Theo," said Bastien, concentrating on his poem.

"We won't if we're careful," said Odd. He leaned down on the lunch table. This morning's blushing session was supposed to get Jeremie and Aelita away from the cafeteria. He couldn't believe it actually worked! Once they were gone the boys got straight to work, already having gathered the supplies beforehand.

"How's this sound?" asked Alexandre, standing up with his card. "My precious princess, you're worth more than gold. Will you be my valentine?"

"Kind of short," said Odd critically. "Add a line about her eyes or something, girls love that."

"I don't know what color her eyes are!" said Alexandre.

"They're green," said Ulrich. "When I spent the night in Jeremie's room, he kept going on and on about them, her hair, and everything else. I would have gone back to my dorm if Odd wasn't trying to be a rock star while I was studying."

"Got it," said Alexandre, snorting with laughter. "Okay, how's this. My precious princess, you're worth more than gold. You're emerald eyes awaken my heart and stir my senses. Will you be my valentine?"

"Beautiful!" said Odd, applauding. "I didn't know you were a romantic, Alex!"

"I try," said Alexandre, looking triumphant. Thomas rolled his eyes.

"Okay, guys, back to work," said Ulrich, laughing. "It's not that hard to get Einstein jealous, but if we want to get them together, we've got to put our backs into it."

"Yeah, yeah," mumbled Jean-Baptiste, painting his card delicately.

* * *

"You know Aelita will kill us if she finds out," said Heidi, bending over a tub of glitter to reach the pens.

"Quit worrying so much!" chided Sissi. "Aelita's gone to class with Belpois, she's not coming back! We've got less than twenty minutes left, get back to work!"

"Let's see yours, then, Delmas!" said Azra, wrinkling her nose at the brat.

"Fine," said Sissi, standing up on a chair. "But if you get any ink on my carpet, you'll be serving detention for the rest of the year!"

"Get on with it!" said Melanie, sprawled out on Sissi's bed.

"Hmph!" responded Sissi, turning her nose up. "Dear Belpois. You're so smart! Love, your Valentine."

"That's your idea of a confession of love?" asked Jean, erupting in giggles.

"What's wrong with it?" asked Sissi, pouting.

"First off, you don't call him by his surname!" said Emily, smiling. "Secondly, he already knows he's smart! You've got to see past that!"

"I'm not Stones!" defended Sissi angrily. "I don't spend every second with him!"

"Try it like this," said Camille. "Ahem. Jeremie, your gentle soul brightens my day and nights. I'm drawn to you for all eternity. Please accept my love. Signed, your Valentine."

"Very nice," said Claire, nodding approvingly.

"Way too dramatic if you ask me," said Sissi.

"Sissi, the idea is to make Aelita jealous, not you," said Naomi, rolling her eyes. "Make a new valentine, or we'll tell Herb you've got a crush on him."

"Fine!" said Sissi, hastily scribbling on a fresh heart.

"Aelita doesn't strike me as the jealous type," said Lola, resting on her stomach while working on her card.

"If we can make these sincere enough, she will be," said Melanie. "We've got to push her into it. We tried pushing Jeremie with Theo, now he's in the hospital and Aelita's not doing any better. Plan E better be the last plan we use!"

"Yeah, if we have to execute Plan F, things are gonna get ugly," said Azra solemnly. The other girls, even Sissi, nodded in agreement.

"Alright, girls, let's get back to work," said Heidi, reading over her card. "And don't forget to change your handwriting!"


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Code Lyoko

Chapter 6

Jeremie turned his key in the lock. Another long day in class before another long night fighting Xana. The same routine, everyday. Something was different tonight, however. A large stack of cards was in front of his door.

"What's this?" asked Jeremie, bending down to scoop them up.

From the look of them, Jeremie could conclude they were Valentine's Day cards. But they couldn't be for him, they must have been dropped by mistake. However, when Jeremie leafed through them, they all had his name on them. He didn't blush at what they said, but he was quite surprised.

Deciding that they must have been prank cards, Jeremie tossed them to the ground and continued his work on the antivirus. Some of the cards had been quite flattering, but Jeremie didn't want them. He just wanted Aelita. After all, that was the whole point of these flirting lessons.

Sitting back down in front of his computer, Jeremie cracked his knuckles and got back to work. He searched through source codes and formulas, occasionally finding something interesting, but didn't make any breakthroughs. He only stopped when there was a knock at his door.

"Come in," said Jeremie, looking through yet another folder.

"Jeremie, do you need any help?" asked Aelita, walking in.

"Sure," said Jeremie, pulling a chair from his desk.

Aelita spotted the colorful cards stashed in a corner as she sat down, and her heart sank. Jeremie wouldn't lie to her, would he? Those cards were just from family, right? She sneaked glances at them while they were working when Jeremie wasn't looking, though, and read the words, finding that was not the case.

"Aelita, you better get back to your dorm," said Jeremie, looking at the clock on his drawer twenty minutes later. "If Jim catches you here, we'll be in big trouble."

"Right," said Aelita, looking one last time at the cards. Her stomach gave a jolt, but she passed it off as the hash they served for dinner that night.

"I'll walk you there," said Jeremie, standing up and saving his work. Aelita smiled and opened the door for him.

When they neared her room, Aelita found a stack of cards in front of her door. She bent down and picked them up, frowning. Why would anyone send her a valentine? She stood up, still puzzled, looking through them.

"So much for not having a valentine," said Jeremie sharply. Aelita spun around to see him looking disappointed, and angry.

"Huh?" asked Aelita, confused.

"I can't believe you lied to me!" said Jeremie. How could he be so dumb not to see this coming?

"Me?" asked Aelita furiously. That spark of jealousy inside her was pushing her on. "You're the one who lied about all of your girlfriends!"

"What are you talking about?" asked Jeremie, taken aback.

"I saw those cards in your room!" said Aelita. "You're not one to talk about lying! I'm not going to stand here and let you judge me!"

Jeremie was shocked. Aelita never yelled at him. What's more, she was hurt! He was about to explain that those cards were jokes, they were worthless, but she had gone into her room and slammed the door in his face. He moved forward to open the door and go in after her, but he heard the lock click and knew it was futile.

* * *

"Yo, Jeremie, what's up?" asked Ulrich, running up to the genius as he entered his dorm.

"Aelita and I...got into a fight," said Jeremie sullenly.

"You _what_?" asked Odd, his jaw hanging down. "Have you forgotten the whole point of our lessons, Einstein?"

"It wasn't my fault!" said Jeremie. "Aelita lied to me!"

"Princess, dishonest?" asked Ulrich. "Come on, Jeremie, she'd never lie, especially not to you."

"She told me she didn't have a valentine," said Jeremie, sighing. "I walked her back to her dorm and saw a big stack of cards, all addressed to her."

"Oh," said Ulrich, his stomach twisting in knots as he shot nervous glances at Odd. It worsened when he saw the look on his friends face. Odd had an idea.

"First of all, Jeremie, is that the whole point of this fight?" asked Odd.

"Well, no," said Jeremie sheepishly. "Earlier when I was walking back to my room, I found Valentine's Day cards at my door, but I'm sure they were prank cards. Aelita saw them and got mad at me."

"Ouch," said Odd, but that dangerous look didn't fade. "Good thing I know how you can get her back."

"I never had her in the first place, Odd," said Jeremie sadly.

"You will after we're through with you," said Odd. Ulrich raised his eyebrows, wondering what he had up his purple sleeves. "Be ready at 11:00 tomorrow, it's Sunday. The guys, Ulrich, and I, are taking you to the gym."

* * *

Aelita opened her eyes blearily. The harsh sunlight made her groan. She turned around to see her alarm clock and found it was already 10:00. She panicked before remembering it was Sunday, which meant no classes. She looked back on the long night she had had.

The girls had stormed in moments after her fight with Jeremie. Apparently word got around fast. They pestered her until she broke down and told them what happened. They all looked sympathetic, but it was like they weren't telling her something. The girls had kept her up half the night, though. They said they'd be here at 10:00 actually, but said they'd be "fashionably late."

A knock at her door a few minutes later signified her mentors' arrival.

"Well, Aelita, we're going to have to resort to Plan F," said Heidi, pursing her lips. "I hate to admit it, but we're going to have to play hard ball with Jeremie."

"Should I even ask what Plan F is?" asked Aelita wearily.

"No," said Azra. "You leave it to us, and we'll let you in on things when the time is right."

"Or after it's already happened," said Aelita, raising an eyebrow.

"You're catching on!" said Camille, laughing. "But we're going to have to borrow you for the rest of the morning, and some of the afternoon. We're going shopping."

"What for?" asked Aelita, cocking her head to the side.

"For an outfit," said Melanie slyly. "You've got to look fabulous!"

"For what?" asked Aelita. The only places she ever went to were either the factory or school. Neither Xana nor the teachers really seemed to care about her fashion sense.

"You'll see," said Lola. "Come on, get ready and we'll take you to the stores."

Aelita did as they said and gathered her shower supplies, but with extreme caution. Her relationship with Jeremie was sinking, but if the girls could save it from drowning, then so be it.

* * *

"Alright, Belpois, stand up straight!" said Bastien, smirking.

"Alright, Jim Junior, get out of his face," said Ulrich, rolling his eyes. "Come on, Jeremie, don't drag your feet."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" asked Jeremie, looking skeptical.

"We're positive," said Christophe, giving Jeremie a thumbs-up. "Now let's get moving."

Jeremie sighed and followed them, knowing he'd be in a world of hurt after this was over.

"Why exactly do I have to do this, again?" asked Jeremie.

"If you had a bit more muscle, Aelita might be a bit more attracted to you," said Thomas simply.

Jeremie couldn't find anything to argue with, so he kept silent. He should probably save whatever little energy he had in him for the horrors that were ahead.

* * *

Aelita giggled at a joke Claire had just made as they came back to school. All in all, it hadn't been a bad Sunday. It was 4:00, Aelita had two shopping bags in her hands, and she was still wondering why they went to the mall today.

"Okay, Aelita, you're set for Plan F," said Naomi happily.

"Which is what again?" asked Aelita exasperatedly.

"I suppose we should let her in on it," said Camille, glancing at the others. "It's not like we can bind her up in rope and drag her there."

"Okay," said Emily. "Aelita, you're going to a party."

"A party?" asked Aelita, her eyes widening. Those social get togethers she had read about?

"Specifically, a Valentine's Day party," said Jean, looking proud. "It's the perfect way for you and Jeremie to get over this little fiasco."

"How are you going to get Jeremie to go?" asked Aelita, doubtful.

"The same way I got Jeremie to come to dinner," said Emily, smirking. "I'll make sure he-"

"Jeremie!" said Aelita, dropping her bags.

Three boys had just entered the building, looking tired. One was in the middle, unconscious. It was Jeremie, being supported by Odd and Ulrich. Aelita ran up to him and glared at the two other boys.

"What happened to him?" asked Aelita, staring daggers at them.

"Well, Aelita, you see," said Ulrich, looking over at his companion and groaning. Odd had another idea.

"It's quite simple, Princess," said Odd, trying to hide his glee. "A couple of Theo's buddies found Jeremie while he was out in the park. Jeremie seemed to have put up a good fight, because he could be a lot worse. We think they probably started taunting him about you, so that's why he's not dead. We found him on the ground while we were taking a walk a few minutes ago."

"Jeremie," murmured Aelita, holding his face. "Let's get him to the infirmary."

Looking over at her teachers, she saw them nod and walk away. Putting Jeremie's arm around her shoulders, Aelita lifted him up and helped Odd and Ulrich walk him to the infirmary.

"My goodness, what happened to him?" asked Nurse Dorothy, motioning them to a cot. "Set him down gently."

"He got into a fight," said Ulrich, trying not to think of it as a lie. Technically, Jeremie and Aelita were fighting, right?

"That doesn't sound like Jeremie," said Dorothy, checking his pulse. "Wait! He's waking up!"

Jeremie began moving,groaning softly. Aelita dropped down next to him, hoping he would open his eyes. He did, and turned his head to her. She smiled and waited for him to speak.

"You're pretty," said Jeremie, grinning.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko

Chapter 7

"Uh, thanks, Jeremie," said Aelita, surprised. She looked at the nurse. "Is he alright?"

"That fight must have created some problems," said Nurse Dorothy. "However, it's not very serious. He should be back to normal soon. But I'm taking caution, and he's going to need someone to watch him for the rest of the evening. Ulrich, Odd, would either of you care for the job?"

"Sorry, Nurse Dorothy, we've got, uh, homework," said Ulrich sheepishly. "Why not Aelita?"

"Ms. Stones, do you object?" asked Nurse Dorothy, looking at her.

"Not at all," said Aelita, glancing down at Jeremie. He was asleep.

"Good, take him to his room, he should be fine there," said Nurse Dorothy. "We need to keep cots in the infirmary free."

"We'll help you, Aelita," said Odd, lifting up Jeremie. They made their way to Jeremie's dorm, trying not to knock into any students.

"Okay, Princess, you think you've got it covered?" asked Ulrich, setting the genius on the bed. Aelita nodded. "We'll see you around, keep us posted."

After they left the room Ulrich glared at Odd.

"Jeremie ran into Theo's buddies, huh?" asked Ulrich, smirking.

"It's a lot better than the real story!" said Odd, crossing his arms. "I'm surprised Jeremie was able to last that long at the gym."

"He only did because you were muttering Aelita's name in his ear!" said Ulrich, restraining a laugh.

"He would have lasted longer if he hadn't tripped and hit his head on the treadmill," said Odd, smiling.

"Okay, so defending Aelita's honor sounds a lot better," said Ulrich. "Let's go get some dinner, I'm hungry."

* * *

Aelita sighed and sat down next to Jeremie on the bed. She set his head on her lap. Cradling it gently, she felt guilt flood her senses. How could she be angry with him now, while he was in pain?

"I'm sorry, Jeremie," said Aelita, bending down and kissing his forehead. She drew circles around his eyes with her finger, as if to bring back his glasses. It didn't work, but she didn't expect it to.

Aelita waited minutes, or maybe hours, until he started moving. He sat straight up, looking confused, but Aelita grabbed his shoulders and set his head back on her lap.

"You need your rest," said Aelita.

Jeremie couldn't understand what was happening. The last thing he remembered was going to that infernal gym, then he lost his balance and blacked out for some reason. He vaguely remembered waking up a while ago, but couldn't recall any details. Hopefully he didn't embarrass himself.

Aelita noticed Jeremie's eyes were wide open, and staring at the ceiling. Was it wise to be thinking hard after receiving a lot of physical pain? She should probably play it safe, but how could she wipe away all thoughts from his mind? Knock him out? That might do more harm than good.

That note she had found at breakfast yesterday came into her mind. _Go with your gut instinct_. Maybe it was time to do so.

Jeremie wasn't entirely sure what to do now. He was certain of a few things. One, he was in his room. Two, Aelita was holding him. Three, he had no idea why. He stole a couple peeks at her every few minutes, and she smiled each time. It seemed like he was forgiven.

"Jeremie, are you feeling alright?" asked Aelita, setting a hand on his arm. He groaned loudly as pain shot through it. "Jeremie!"

"I'm fine, Aelita," said Jeremie, trying to sit up. His muscles were on fire and he froze, keeping down a yell.

"You're not fine," said Aelita. "That fight must have exhausted you."

"Fight?" asked Jeremie, confused. He didn't remember any fight. "I guess."

"You're not working on the antivirus tonight," said Aelita firmly.

"What?" asked Jeremie shooting up and ignoring the pain. "Aelita, you can't be serious!"

"I am," said Aelita. The words "_gut instinct"_ were racing through her brain.

"But there's so much work to do! " said Jeremie, not believing his ears.

"And you can do it some other time," said Aelita.

"But Aelita, I-" said Jeremie, but he made the exact same discovery Aelita had a few days previously. It's rather difficult to speak when you're being kissed.

Aelita knew that there would be consequences after this, but she couldn't really worry about them right now. The option of thinking about Jeremie was just so much more appealing. She pressed her lips on his gently, not wanting to cause more pain.

Jeremie's mind was blank. Aelita sure knew how to make him forget what to say. He wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her, but something held him back. Wretched shyness!

Aelita held his neck gently and felt his body tremble. She moved back abruptly, afraid she had made him ache.

"Ae-Aelita," said Jeremie, hundreds of thoughts swarming in his head. At least he didn't freeze up.

"Yes, Jeremie?" asked Aelita nervously.

That did it. Jeremie became a statue at that moment, not able to move or speak. Aelita sighed and kissed his cheek, before standing up. It was time to retire to her room for the night; she had a feeling Jeremie would be okay. At the very least he wasn't about to start working on the antivirus.

* * *

"Aelita!"

Aelita looked up from her book, surprised. Someone was pounding on her door and calling her name. She moaned, recognizing the voices that made more drama in her life than Xana it seemed.

"Yes?" asked Aelita, opening the door.

"We know about the kiss!" said Melanie, squealing.

"How do you know about these things?" asked Aelita, eyeing them both suspiciously and exasperatedly. "It only happened twenty minutes ago!"

"Word gets around fast!" said Lola, shrugging. "So, did he freeze?"

"Not at first," said Aelita, staring at the ground. "He said my name this time."

"And..." said Camille, egging her on.

"Then I replied, and then he froze," said Aelita, scratching the back of her head. "That's progress, right?"

"I guess," said Naomi, rolling her eyes. "But we still have a lot of work to do. I'm assuming you two are over this squabble?"

"I think so," said Aelita. "He wasn't upset with me."

"Excellent," said Azra. "You think you could sweet talk him into going to the party?"

"That's my job!" said Emily, frowning.

"Well, if he's knocked out, he can't exactly go!" said Azra.

"I'll do my best," said Aelita, not wanting another argument to come up

* * *

."Jeremie," said Ulrich, shaking the boy's shoulders. "Jeremie!"

"Here, let me," said Odd, bending down to Jeremie's ear. "Jeremie, Aelita's going to marry Theo!"

"Huh?" asked Jeremie, jumping.

"Well, that made you move!" said William, smirking.

"Einstein, what happened?" asked Odd.

"Aelita," said Jeremie, smacking his forehead. "I, I-"

"Did she kiss you?" asked Bastien, one eyebrow raised.

"Y-yeah," said Jeremie, a small blush on his face.

"I can't believe you froze all over again!" said Thomas disbelievingly.

"I managed to say her name," said Jeremie defensively.

And then you froze," said Odd pointedly.

"Well, yeah," said Jeremie glumly.

"Jeremie!" said Ulrich, groaning. "She kissed you because she likes you! Do you want her to stop kissing you?"

"No!" said Jeremie, red tainting his cheeks.

"Then buck up and kiss her back!" said Alexandre. "Looks like going to the gym didn't toughen you up. It's time to go to Plan D."

"Which is?" asked Jeremie, a bemused expression on his face.

"D stands for double-date!" said Odd, smirking.

"Excuse me?" asked Jeremie, blankly.

"Double-date," said Ulrich. "You're going on one with Odd and Melanie."

"Excuse me?" repeated Jeremie.

"Better face facts, Jeremie, you're going on a date with one of Melanie's friends," said Alexandre.

"Huh?" asked Jeremie.

"We got him to say something else!" said Romain, chuckling.

"Melanie couldn't resist my charms," said Odd, his head up high. "I asked if I could bring a friend and she said yes! She's bringing this girl she knows."

"I thought the whole point of these was so I'd be dating _Aelita_," said Jeremie, stunned.

"This is a way for you to get dating experience without embarrassing yourself in front of her," said Thomas. "It's not like Aelita's ever going to find out."

* * *

"A double date," said Aelita slowly. She remembered reading about them and asking Yumi, but it was still something to think about.

"I'm going on a date with Odd," said Melanie, looking proud. "I asked if I could bring a friend and he agreed, saying he would bring one, too."

"I don't want to go on a date with anyone but Jeremie!" exclaimed Aelita.

"Aelita, have you ever been on a formal date?" asked Claire suddenly.

"No," admitted Aelita. "Unless you count that study date."

"We don't, and this way you'll know what one is like!" said Heidi, gesturing wildly.

"Is this Plan G or something?" asked Aelita, exhausted from all this plotting.

"Of course not, silly!" said Melanie. "This wasn't planned! It just happened! You can call it...Surprise A if you want."

"The date's tomorrow," said Lola. "Get some sleep. You're going to need it."


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko

Chapter 8

"Come on, Aelita, there's no reason to be nervous!"

Aelita couldn't see any logic in this. She was about to go on a date with some random boy, and she wasn't supposed to be nervous? After extensive "primping" the girls declared her ready.

"I can't help it!" said Aelita, careful not to touch her face.

"Well you better!" said Sissi.

"Sissi, hush," said Naomi. "Aelita, relax. If tonight turns out to be rotten, at least it wasn't in front of Jeremie."

"It's just one of Odd's friends," said Melanie, shrugging. She checked her watch and stood up. "Come on, Aelita, Odd said he'd meet us at the restaurant."

"Okay," said Aelita. She was far from ready, but it was best to get this over with.

* * *

"Jeremie, calm down!" said Odd, clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's just a date!"

"Says the guy who can't go one week without one," said Jeremie, shivering.

"I'm willing to ignore that," said Odd, smirking. "The girls will be here any minute, so we better review. What do you do when you see her?"

"Say she looks stunning or something," said Jeremie, digging his hands in his pockets. Did it have to be so cold tonight?

"Correct," said Odd. "But leave out the 'or something.' What do you do when there's a pause in conversation?"

"Talk about anything except math or computers," said Jeremie. "Can we go inside? I'm freezing!"

"That would be rude," said Odd, laughing. "Sorry, Einstein, you'll just have to wait."

"Odd!"

"Melanie!" said Odd excitedly. The girl came jogging over, obviously cold. "Where's your friend?"

"Huh?" asked Melanie, looking around. "She was just behind me--oh, there she is! She's a little shy."

Melanie grabbed Aelita's arm from behind a tree and pulled her over. Aelita, with her hood pulled over her head to keep out the cold, stared at the ground nervously. Jeremie was doing the same. Odd and Melanie were too busy chatting to notice.

"We better get inside, my fingers are numb," said Odd, opening the door for them. They stepped inside, the heat a welcome change. "Booth, please."

"Right this way," said a man at a desk, leading them to a corner. Melanie and Aelita sat on one side, Jeremie and Odd on the other. That way they could give their students tips if need be.

"Aelita, you can take off your hood, you know," hissed Melanie, looking at her menu.

Aelita blushed and hesitantly took it off, revealing her pink hair. Jeremie noticed and was sure a few dozen brain cells of his had just fallen apart. Melanie gasped but tried not to make a big deal about it. Odd wasn't very good at that.

"Aelita?" asked Odd, stopping in the middle of his order for the waiter. "What are you doing here?"

"I, I'm--" said Aelita, blood surging to her face.

"She's my friend," said Melanie defiantly. A swift change of subject was needed. "Odd, what do you think about the chocolate milkshake?"

Aelita sighed and looked at her "date" for the first time. Her heart stopped for a few long seconds. Jeremie. _Jeremie_. What was that about not embarrassing herself in front of him? He was staring at her, looking shocked and bemused.

"So, uh, what'd you guys think of Ms. Meyer's class?" asked Odd, trying to get some talking going.

"I hope we get logarithms over and done with quickly," said Melanie, rising to the occasion. "Don't you, Aelita?"

"I guess," said Aelita, staring at her lap and trying not to attract attention.

"Hey, Einstein, you think Sissi's gonna lay off Ulrich anytime soon?" asked Odd, nudging Jeremie.

"Don't know," said Jeremie, looking at his menu and nothing else. Odd sighed, Jeremie was basically ignoring all of his hints.

"Odd, Jeremie, Aelita and I need to go, uh, freshen up," said Melanie, standing up. "We'll be right back."

Melanie grabbed Aelita's hand and yanked her out of the booth, leading her to the restrooms. Jeremie turned to Odd, ready to kill.

"So, I get dating experience without embarrassing myself in front of her," said Jeremie venomously, his teeth clenched. "You set me up!"

"Jeremie, I swear, I didn't!" said Odd. "I had no idea Aelita was even friends with Melanie!"

"I have the worst luck," said Jeremie, holding his head in his hands.

"These things happen, Einstein," said Odd, trying to lighten the situation. "Aelita seemed just as surprised as you!"

"If you're trying to make me feel better, it's not working," said Jeremie. "I'm about to make a big fool of myself!"

"Jeremie, you know Aelita better than anyone else," said Odd, clapping him on the shoulder. "The only thing you can't fit into your giant head is the fact that she likes you just as much, if not more, as you do."

"If she liked me so much wouldn't she have said something?" asked Jeremie.

"Maybe she's just waiting for you to make the first move," said Odd, smiling. Slowly and reluctantly, Jeremie smiled back. "And for you to say she looks stunning 'or something.'"

Jeremie, still smiling, punched him in the arm. None too gently, either.

* * *

"Aelita, breathe," ordered Melanie, bringing the pinkette to the mirror. "Look at yourself, you're shaking!"

"What is he doing here?" asked Aelita, pacing back and forth.

"Coincidence," said Melanie, brushing her hair. "Aelita, get a grip!"

"I can't go back out there!" said Aelita.

"Why not?" asked Melanie casually.

"Because I'm probably going to do or say something dumb!" said Aelita like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Jeremie's likely to do the same thing," replied Melanie. "Would that be so bad?"

"Well of course not," said Aelita, stopping her pacing. "I wouldn't care. But if I--"

"He wouldn't care either," said Melanie, cutting her off. "Why wouldn't it bother you if Jeremie messed up?"

"Because..." said Aelita, but she thought about her response for a moment. "Because mistakes don't define a person! And even if he did mess up, I know Jeremie would at least try to make it better."

"If I asked him that question, he'd most likely say the same thing," said Melanie. "Jeremie likes you, Aelita. A lot."

"Then why hasn't he said anything?" asked Aelita.

"Maybe he's waiting for you to make the first move," said Melanie, shrugging. Aelita sighed but smiled back.

* * *

"We missed you girls," said Odd, already digging into his food.

"The food looks great," said Melanie, sitting down next to Aelita.

"Jeremie was kind enough to order for you, Aelita," said Odd, smirking. "Isn't that sweet?"

Aelita blushed too hard to see Odd open his mouth in a silent scream after Jeremie stomped on his foot under the table. Twenty minutes and ten bad jokes later, they were finishing off dessert while Odd and Melanie continued to prod them.

"Say, Jeremie, you wouldn't happen to have someone special to share Valentine's Day with, would you?" asked Melanie, spooning her sundae into her mouth. "Maybe a girl back home?"

"Er, no," said Jeremie. Couldn't they leave February 14th alone?

"What about you, Aelita?" asked Melanie, noting Jeremie's flushed face. "A boy back where you live?"

"No," said Aelita. _Unless you count the Scyphozoa, it can't keep it's tentacles off me_. If she ever found this Saint Valentine fellow, she'd break his arms and legs.

Aelita bent down, dropping her fork on the ground for a distraction. She heard three gasps. She sat back up and hit her head on something.

"Ow!" said Aelita, rubbing the back of her head. She turned around to find a steak knife lodged in the back of the booth seat. "What the--"

Another knife grazed her arm and she yelled. She looked in the direction it came from to find their waiter with a cart. And Xana's symbol in his eyes.

"Aelita, are you alright?" asked Jeremie, watching a drop of blood come from her arm.

"I'm fine," said Aelita, ducking to avoid a glass.

"What's the matter with that guy?" asked Melanie fearfully.

"I, uh, gave him a lousy tip," said Odd, standing up and nodding to Jeremie and Aelita. "Melanie, get to school, we'll be right with you."

She didn't need telling twice. Melanie darted out the door as Aelita narrowly dodged a third knife. Jeremie's stomach lurched, that first knife had come so close...

"Ulrich, get your butt to the factory!" shouted Odd on his cell phone. "Yes, Xana's attacking! He nearly butchered Princess!"

That didn't make Jeremie feel any better. His eyes wandered to the red stain on Aelita's hoodie and he frowned. Aelita was acting like it didn't matter, but Jeremie kept close to her just in case.

They were already halfway to the factory, and the waiter was running after them. Jeremie actually got hit with a spoon once. Aelita seemed angrier about that than her arm, but he assured her it was nothing.

"Odd, I told you I should bring my laptop!" hissed Jeremie, not letting Aelita hear.

"And I told you that computers aren't romantic!" retorted Odd. "At least the date went well!"

"It was a catastrophe!" said Jeremie furiously. "Aelita probably thinks I'm an idiot!"

"Jer, chill!" said Odd. "If you weren't so busy worrying tonight you would have seen her staring at you most of dinner and all through dessert!"

"She was?" asked Jeremie, stopping in his tracks.

"Jeremie!" said Aelita, knocking him off his feet as a saucer whizzed over them.

Jeremie's breath was cut short, but not because he had just evaded death by a dinner plate. Aelita had his shoulders pinned to the ground, and her face was right in front of his. Jeremie instinctively flipped her over so he was on top to feel a fork bounce hard off his back.

"Love birds, you can make out later!" said Odd, opening up the manhole. Jeremie blushed and moved aside, giving Aelita a hand to stand up.

"Thanks," said Aelita quietly as she jogged through the sewers to her scooter. Jeremie nodded. Taking a fork to the back didn't seem very heroic, but he supposed it was all in the eyes of the beholder.

"Ulrich!" called Odd, skating up to the speeding boy. "Wait up!"

"How'd it go?" asked Ulrich, slowing down his skateboard.

"As it turns out, Aelita was Melanie's friend," said Odd, smirking.

"_What?_" asked Ulrich, almost losing his balance. "How'd Jeremie handle it?"

"Oh, you know, classic Einstein-like," said Odd, shrugging.

"Ouch," said Ulrich, shivering. "How 'bout Aelita?"

"Not much better from what I can tell," said Odd. "Don't look now, though, but I think they're making progress."

Ulrich turned his head around to find Jeremie and Aelita behind them, chatting shyly. Probably about Lyoko or something. He saw Jeremie gesture to Aelita's sleeve, which had a dark red stain on it.

"What happened to Aelita?" asked Ulrich, looking back at Odd.

"The usual, Xana possessed waiter, sharp knives, the whole deal," said Odd dryly.

"No wonder Jeremie's freaking out," said Ulrich. "Sooner we return to the past, the better."

Odd couldn't agree more. After all, this meant a second chance at the double-date.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko

Chapter 9

"So, the spider says, 'I looked it up on the web!'" said Odd, laughing hysterically. Melanie and Aelita giggled, and even Jeremie managed a chuckle.

After successfully deactivating the tower, and a very close escape from the Scyphozoa, the gang launched the return to the past, and found themselves at the time of the date, and not twenty-four hours previously. It seemed that even the supercomputer itself wanted to nurture the budding romance. Or at least keep Jeremie and Aelita from finding a way out of it.

"Hey, Aelita," whispered Melanie. "Getting any butterflies?"

"Er, no," said Aelita. Why would she be catching insects now?

"Good, 'cause Jeremie seems nervous enough for the both of you," joked Melanie.

Aelita glanced at Jeremie and noticed that he did look a little uncomfortable. She couldn't say she was feeling any better. Going on a date with her best friend wasn't exactly easy. However, when she called Yumi to explain the return to the past while in the bathroom, Yumi said it was a great idea.

"Say, Aelita, have you heard about Theo?" asked Odd, deciding to drop the bomb on her and Jeremie.

"No, what?" asked Aelita curiously. Jeremie held back a growl and listened intently.

"They're releasing him from the hospital early," said Odd knowingly. "I guess it wasn't too serious."

"What?" asked Aelita, fear sinking in.

"Don't worry, I'd bet my dog Jeremie would be thrilled to protect you," said Odd, smirking. "And anyway, I think Theo learned his lesson last time."

"He's never been very bright," muttered Jeremie angrily. Somehow, Mr. Delmas never found out Jeremie was the reason Theo nearly suffocated. He didn't want to risk that by being around Theo.

"Oh, shoot!" said Odd, glancing at his watch. "Jim's bound to catch us! It's ten minutes until curfew!"

"We better get going," said Melanie standing up.

"You girls go ahead, we'll catch up in a minute," said Odd. Jeremie nodded, not sure where this was going, and Aelita smiled at him before running off with Melanie. "Well done, Jeremie."

"What do you mean?" asked Jeremie.

"You could have flipped out over this date like you did last time, but you didn't," said Odd. "Aelita seemed very impressed."

"Yeah, sure," said Jeremie sarcastically.

"I'm serious, keep this up and she'll be yours in no time!" said Odd cheerfully. "I'm gonna go walk Melanie to her dorm. You make sure Aelita gets back safe. Okay?"

Before Jeremie could argue Odd was already dashing out of the restaurant. He sighed and ran after him, finding the girls waiting for them outside.

"Hey, Melanie," said Odd, slinging his arm around her shoulder. She giggled.

"Hey, Odd," said Melanie, leaning forward and pecking him on the lips. He blushed but recovered quickly, kissing her back.

Jeremie and Aelita stood next to them uncomfortably. Were they supposed to be doing something? They stared at anything, the sky, the trees, the road, sometimes looking at each other, before Jeremie cleared his throat.

"Uh, guys, remember, Jim?" said Jeremie nervously.

"Oh, right," said Odd, backing away from Melanie. "Catch you later!"

Odd and Melanie ran towards to the school, leaving Jeremie and Aelita behind. Jeremie smacked his forehead; what else could go wrong?

"Well, we better get moving if we don't want detention," said Aelita, her voice shaking.

Jeremie nodded and they started make their way back to Kadic, thoughts racing inside their heads. Jeremie couldn't believe she was still talking to him after what just happened. He wasn't exactly the perfect date. He finally had the opportunity to go out with her, and he blew it.

Aelita resisted the urge to kick the ground with her foot in anger. Why couldn't she get this flirting business? She had completely forgotten everything her teachers told her, and instead sat there like an idiot! Why did she have to be so dense right when it counted the most?

As they got closer to the dorms they steadily became more nervous. The long awaited end of the date had finally come, but how should they go about it? Apologize profusely? Copy Odd and Melanie? Exchange awkward goodbyes and go to their rooms?

"Um, well, good night, Aelita," said Jeremie, as they had reached her dorm first.

"Sweet dreams, Jeremie," said Aelita, attempting to smile.

Jeremie paused and racked his brain, trying to figure out what to do. He'd love to kiss her, but would love it more if she didn't hate him. But, like Ulrich said, didn't Aelita kiss him because she liked him? Taking this point into consideration, Jeremie grabbed Aelita's arm before she walked into her room.

"Wait, Aelita," said Jeremie, hoping he wouldn't regret his decision.

"What is it, Jeremie?" asked Aelita, concerned.

Jeremie shook his head and let her go, feeling foolish. What was he thinking? He had already caused enough damage tonight.

"Tell me, Jeremie," said Aelita, turning away from her door.

"It's nothing," said Jeremie, moving to walk to his own dorm. He heard Aelita's door shut and sighed. She must have gone to sleep. The next few minutes passed by in silence as Jeremie felt worse and worse, wishing he wasn't such a blundering imbecile.

"What's on your mind?" asked Aelita abruptly. Jeremie jumped and spun around. She had been following him the whole time!

"Aelita!" exclaimed Jeremie, his heart racing. "I-I, uh, nothing."

"Come on, Jeremie, I know it's something," said Aelita.

"Aelita, I'm just worried about Xana, you know that," said Jeremie, berating himself on the inside for lying to her.

"Right," said Aelita, nodding. She knew better, though. "Well, goodnight."

Jeremie gave her a small smile and turned around, feeling that the sooner he was in his room, the better. He tensed when he sensed Aelita coming closer. He squeezed his eyes shut, as if bracing for impact. Was she going to yell at him?

Aelita closed her eyes and delicately grabbed Jeremie's chin. She could feel Jeremie stiffen under her touch and frowned slightly. She pressed her lips on his cheek and waited for him to react. She heard a sharp intake of breath and backed away, blushing.

Jeremie's head was spinning. He was an awful date, got attacked by dining utensils, and she kissed him? How did that work out? Jeremie blushed and managed to smile at her, making her blush as well. Very quietly, Aelita began walking away, waving goodbye and heading for her room. Tonight was almost ruined by Xana, she didn't want Jim to be thrown in as well.

* * *

"Okay, Jer, open up right now!"

"Wha-" mumbled Jeremie, sitting straight up and reaching for his glasses. It was already morning.

"Thanks for the warm welcome, Einstein," said Odd, opening the door and marching into Jeremie's dorm.

"What's going on?" asked Jeremie, yawning.

"Okay, does 'Odd left you and Aelita to walk Melanie back to her dorm' ring a bell?" asked Ulrich, smirking.

"Oh, yeah," said Jeremie, his face heating up. "Thanks a lot, Odd."

"My pleasure," replied Odd smartly. "So, give us the details!"

"I walked her back, went to my room, and worked on the, uh, math worksheet," said Jeremie, noting the rest of his teachers walking in.

"Did anything happen?" asked Bastien.

"Well, yes," answered Jeremie,realizing he wasn't getting off easy. "When we got to the dorm I was about to kiss her, but I lost my nerve."

"Jeremie!" groaned Romain. "What did you think she was going to do if you did? Slap you?"

"Maybe!" said Jeremie angrily. "I just want her to keep speaking to me!"

"Jeremie, there's not even the tiniest chance that Aelita doesn't like you as more than a friend," said Thomas. "What's the risk in telling her you feel the same way?"

Jeremie didn't answer, and Ulrich sighed.

"Did anything else happen?" Ulrich asked.

"Well, I left for my room, she had been following me, asked me what was wrong, I told her it was school, she said goodnight, kissed me, and walked away," said Jeremie, not stopping for breath.

"Great, now you're lying to her, too!" scolded Jean-Baptiste.

"Who's side are you on?" asked Jeremie heatedly.

"Jeremie, face it, you're chicken," said Odd solemnly.

"What?" asked Jeremie, surprised. "I am not!"

"Prove it!" countered Odd, crossing his fingers behind his back and hoping his plan worked. "Go and show us that we're not wasting our time!"

"Odd, this is ridiculous!" said Jeremie, but he was interrupted.

"Bawk, bawk!" clucked Odd, flapping his elbows in a chicken-like manner. "Chicken!"

"Odd, what are you doing?" hissed Ulrich, watching Jeremie sweat uncomfortably.

"Just watch," replied Odd, still flapping. "Come on, Jeremie, admit it!"

"I am not chicken!" said Jeremie, storming out of the room. The boys waited a moment before quickly and quietly following, while Odd and Ulrich lagged behind.

"Ah, the powers of male pride," said Odd, looking satisfied. Ulrich looked at his friend quizzically before shaking his head. There was just no understanding Odd.

* * *

Aelita tied the laces to her boot as she heard a loud knock on her door. She sighed; she had hoped her mentors would give her a brief vacation after the fiasco last night. Reluctantly Aelita stood up and opened the door. It was Jeremie, still in his pajamas, with a distressed look on his face.

"Is something wrong, Jeremie?" asked Aelita. His face paled, then grew red, then Aelita could have sworn she heard odd clucking noises.

"No, nothing-" began Jeremie, then the clucking grew louder and he frowned.

Jeremie knew he would have to somehow cause Odd three hours of pain the next time he saw the boy, but right now he had to show he had a spine, and he had to fix last night. Jeremie took a breath and grabbed hold of Aelita's arms, claiming her lips before his shyness could kick in.

Aelita let out a muffled gasp and felt her knees shake. The one thing she had spent countless hours dreaming about was happening right now, when she least expected it. And she wasn't doing anything about it. Realizing this, Aelita closed her eyes and moved towards him, but-

"Belpois! Stones!"

Jeremie spent a fraction of a second wishing those words had never sounded before opening his eyes and restoring the normal gap between him and Aelita. Jim was marching down the hallway, looked furious.

"You know public displays of affection are not allowed!" bellowed Jim, grabbing their elbows. "I bet Mr. Delmas would love to have a little chat with you in his office!"

Aelita grew more and more confused as she was jerked out of the dorm building. Kadic had a rule called "Get a kiss, get in trouble?" Why did she get a kiss in the first place?

"Ah, Mr. Delmas, these two were caught kissing on the Girls' Dorm Level," said Jim, bringing Jeremie and Aelita into the principal's office. They felt the blood rush to their faces as they sat in the chairs in front of Mr. Delmas's desk.

"Well well well," said Mr. Delmas, peering at them both in turn. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"Please, sir, it's my fault," said Jeremie, sitting up straighter. "Aelita had nothing to do with it."

"That may be so, but I'm trying to keep Kadic a respectable school," said Mr. Delmas sternly. "Jim, did Aelita make any protest at all against Belpois's actions?"

"No she did not, sir," said Jim, smiling while Aelita blushed. "In fact, by the time I caught them, she appeared to be trying to taking it further!"

"You will each serve three hours of detention tomorrow afternoon," said Mr. Delmas crossly. "Understood?"

"Yes, sir," said Aelita, trying to become fascinated with the carpet. This morning was just a giant blur to her, she could barely understand what was happening.

"Very well," said Mr. Delmas. "That will be all. You may continue getting ready for class."

"Thank you, sir," said Jeremie and Aelita, standing up and leaving the office, nodding to Nicole on their way out.

As soon as they were in the hallway Jeremie felt words gush out of his mouth, trying to form a suitable apology, but it was mostly babbling. Short phrases like "I'm so sorry," "Please forgive me," "I don't know what came over me," and "I'm really, _really_ sorry" kept Aelita from speaking, until after two minutes when it was growing slightly annoying.

"Jeremie," said Aelita, covering his mouth abruptly. "It's okay. I'm not angry with you. I...I actually kind of liked you kissing me."

"Y-You did?" stammered Jeremie, his eyes widening. "But-"

"Aelita!" yelled a voice, making Aelita wince. They just had to come now. Her "helpers" stopped and Naomi stepped forward. "Oh, uh, sorry, Jeremie, but we're going to have to borrow Aelita."

Jeremie nodded, not bothering to wonder why they wanted Aelita. He knew it was only natural for her to gain popularity the longer she stayed on Earth. Anyway, he could always talk to her during a Xana attack or something. Then again, that might not be the best time to do it.

Aelita sighed and waved goodbye to Jeremie, attempting but failing to smile. She followed them back to her dorm and sat down on the bed, waiting for whatever else they might have in store for her.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko in any way.

Chapter 10

"Okay, Aelita, you have some explaining to do," said Melanie, leaning back in a chair. "Everyone who saw the kiss told everyone else in the school. What happened?"

"I-I don't know," said Aelita, twiddling her thumbs out of nervous habit. "Jeremie knocked on my door, and when I answered, he kissed me."

"Wow, Einstein's got some guts," said Sissi, surprised. "Who'd have thought?"

"Sissi," said Azra darkly, throwing her a glare before focusing on Aelita. "Aelita, what happened last night when Melanie left you alone with Jeremie?"

"Well, when we got to my dorm, we hadn't really said much," said Aelita, glancing at Melanie, who was acting unusually shy. "We said goodnight, I was about to walk in, and he grabbed my arm."

"Oh!" said Jean, squealing excitedly. Heidi grinned, and Camille giggled.

"What?" asked Aelita, feeling "out of the loop" as Odd had once said.

"He was about to kiss you!" said Claire, clapping. She stopped and stared at Aelita. "He did kiss you, didn't he?"

"No," said Aelita, her heart rising in falling at the same time. Why would he kiss her then? And if he was going to, why didn't he?

"Ugh, he's hopeless!" groaned Sissi, her hands fisting.

"We'll crack him," said Lola grimly. "Aelita, what else happened?"

"Well, he let go of my arm and left," Aelita told them, hoping to get a good interpretation for last night's events. "I shut the door and followed him, and tried to find out what was wrong. He said it was, uh, family troubles. But I could tell he was lying. I kissed his cheek and he smiled at me."

"Aw," said Naomi, enjoying Aelita's blush. "What else?"

"Then I left so we wouldn't get caught by Jim," said Aelita, her face heating up.

"Well, you got caught today," said Jean, smiling. "So, how do you feel now?"

"Confused, to say the least," said Aelita, trying to briefly recall everything that had happened ever since she signed up for these lessons in love.

"Don't worry, things will become clear soon," said Camille assuringly. "And besides, don't tell us you didn't enjoy being kissed by Jeremie."

"Of course I did," said Aelita, blushing once again. "And I want it to happen more often, it's just that I don't want to make him uncomfortable."

"Aelita, you do that all the time without realizing it anyway!" exclaimed Azra. "Anyway, it'll toughen him up."

"One problem," said Aelita, frowning. "Jeremie's furious with himself. The principal gave us both three hours of detention tomorrow, and he blames himself. Jim said it was something about displaying affection."

"Then you have to let him know that you're not mad at him," said Lola thoughtfully. "But how?"

"I've got it!" said Camille, perking up. "Tomorrow, after the detention, you ask him to the Valentine's Day party! He thinks he's forgiven and either says yes or..."

"Or freezes up," finished Heidi. "Let's just hope that doesn't happen."

"For the time being, we better get to class," said Melanie, glancing at Aelita's alarm clock. "We've got about five minutes to get our things."

"See you later, Aelita," said Claire, waving while walking out the door. Aelita nodded and grabbed her books, running the plan through her head.

* * *

"Jeremie, what do you think you're doing?" asked Odd, the glow from the holomap hitting him in the eyes and making him wince.

"Making sure I don't cause any more trouble," answered Jeremie, typing fervently on the keyboard.

"Is this about the detention?" asked Ulrich, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"I got Aelita punished, it's as simple as that," said Jeremie, frowning. "I don't want it to happen again."

"So you're going to spend your whole life in the factory?" asked Odd disbelievingly.

"No, I'm going to find the antivirus," answered Jeremie. "Then maybe Aelita will forgive me."

"_Forgive you_?" asked Ulrich, groaning. "Are you serious?"

"She most likely blames herself!" said Odd, shaking his head. "Trust me, Aelita probably likes you even more now."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Jeremie, looking away from the screen for the first time.

"Because we've seen the way she looks at you," said Ulrich, smirking. "We told you, she's in love with you! Now come with us to lunch!"

"But Aelita must be mad at me!" said Jeremie. "I embarrassed her in front of everyone, then got her in trouble with the principal!"

"Einstein, we're telling you for the last time, Aelita isn't angry with you!" said Odd impatiently. "Are you coming with us to the cafeteria or not?"

"Okay, I'll come," said Jeremie, not finding anything else to argue with. "I just hope you're right."

"Aren't we always?" asked Odd, clapping Jeremie on the shoulder, leading him to the elevator. Jeremie shrugged and pushed the red button. "You just worry about whatever Jim will make you do in detention tomorrow. I'm sure that will be agonizing enough."

* * *

"I hope you two learned a lesson," said Jim smugly, opening the door for Jeremie and Aelita. "And if I catch you up to no good again, you'll get eight hours!"

"Yes, Jim," said Jeremie, massaging his cramped fingers.

"And, uh, you might be able to get a second serving of mash potatoes at lunch for the next week, just so you know," said Jim quietly, then leaving to his room.

Aelita let a giggle escape, knowing she'd have no choice but to give it to Odd anyway. Three long hours of cleaning the cafeteria and the kitchens proved to her that Mr. Delmas was on a bad mood when he punished Jeremie and her. Rosa giving her an extra portion wasn't much compared to the thought of collapsing on her bed and sleeping until breakfast. However, she had a job to do. Well, as soon as Jim was out of earshot.

"Say, Jeremie, a-are you busy Saturday night?" asked Aelita nervously, not making eye contact with him, afraid that her blush would betray her.

"Well, I was planning to work on the antivirus some more," said Jeremie, looking at her curiously. "Why?"

"Oh, no reason," said Aelita shyly, feeling her face heat up. "There's just this party I heard about and I...was wondering if you'd come with me?"

Jeremie stopped walking. Was she asking him on a date? On Valentine's Day? And he wasn't saying yes? Why not?

"Uh, uh," stuttered Jeremie, trying to accept. He realized that for the moment, he had no control over his speech. He gave a violent nod of his head and Aelita's face lighted up. She grabbed him in a hug then hatched an idea, letting him go.

"Jeremie, d-do you think you could wear your glasses?" asked Aelita anxiously, hoping she didn't sound silly. Jeremie gave another stiff nod and she smiled. "Thanks, Jeremie, you're the best!"

Remembering what her teachers taught her about giving rewards, Aelita gave him a nervous peck on the cheek before waving goodbye and leaving. She did not want to mess this up.

* * *

"Aelita, relax!"

"But Yumi, I'm worried!" whispered Aelita in her cell phone. Cell phones were frowned upon on school campus, and the last thing she needed was for it to get taken away by Jim. "What if I make a fool of myself in front of him?"

"I know it's hard taking these classes," said Yumi. "But it'll all pay off in the end! Jeremie won't care if you make a mistake, and you're not likely to!"

"Okay, but I've never been to a party!" said Aelita worriedly. "I don't know how to act or what to say!"

"Just act like you usually do in class!" said Yumi. "When in doubt, make small talk with Jeremie. The other girls will give you some tips, I'm sure of it."

"Thanks, Yumi," said Aelita, allowing a smile to flit across her face momentarily. "I don't know how I'd get along without you."

"You'd have to ask Ulrich and Odd these questions, that's what!" joked Yumi, laughing.

"What a nightmare that'd be!" said Aelita, giggling. They said their goodbyes and hung up. Aelita decided to take Yumi's advice and let the girls teach her proper party behavior. It was going to be a long evening.

* * *

"Ah, party etiquette," said Claire dreamily. "We knew you'd ask eventually."

"The most important thing is probably the corniest thing; be yourself," said Melanie. "But, make adjustments where need be."

"Now don't groan, but you will have to wear make-up again," said Lola. Aelita sighed, she despised that gunk, no matter how many times Jeremie stared at her. She wanted him to like her for her, after all.

"You need to stand up straight," said Camille.

"Think positive," said Azra.

"Don't snort when you laugh," said Sissi.

"Take a breath mint in case Jeremie kisses you," said Heidi.

"Look for opportunities to be alone with Jeremie," said Jean.

"And steer clear of any danger," said Emily.

"Danger?" asked Aelita.

"We're just saying that if someone pulls out a steak knife or something, grab Jeremie and run," said Naomi jokingly. Melanie shivered for some reason. "Just a safety tip."

"Oh, right," said Aelita, laughing nervously.

"And don't worry, we'll be stationed at certain parts of the room in case you need help," said Camille reassuringly.

"Thanks," said Aelita, smiling.

* * *

"Jeremie, this is great!" said Odd, cheering. "Aelita asked you out on the most romantic day of the year!"

"Yeah, but..." Jeremie trailed off, not entirely sure how to put it.

"What?" asked William, smirking. "You go with her, you sweep her off her feet, you live happily ever after."

"It's just, it'd be easier if it was just the two of us, or another double date," said Jeremie sheepishly, while Ulrich refrained from telling Prince Charming to go slay a dragon. "But we'll be around a lot of people, and I don't want to embarrass her."

"Ah, worried about her social status," said Thomas, nodding. "Yet another reason why you're the perfect boyfriend for her."

"Listen, all you have to do is keep her busy," said Christophe, admiring the large blush spreading on Jeremie's face. "Talk to her, get her punch, kiss her...you know, stuff you usually do."

"Good one!" said Odd, laughing as he clapped Christophe on the shoulder. "Einstein, pay attention, we're giving you gold! Now-"

"Wait, Odd, one question," said Jeremie, the gears in his memory turning. "When exactly is Theo supposed to be back?"

"Oh, uh, I think tomorrow, actually," said Odd. He grimaced. "Don't you worry, Jeremie, we promised we'd do all we can to keep him away from Aelita. And I told you he probably learned his lesson!"

"I just don't trust him," said Jeremie firmly.

"And you have every reason not to," said Jean-Baptiste. "But for Aelita's sake, try not to make a scene."

"I wasn't going to make a scene," said Jeremie, frowning. "I'd prefer it if Theo would stay in the hospital, but I can't help that."

"We'll take your word for it," said Bastien. "Now, back to how you act at the party."

"Oh yeah, plan, er, E, is it?" asked Jeremie doubtfully.

"Well, technically, it's not really a plan," said Odd. "I mean we've heard about the party for a while, but we didn't know Aelita would invite you. So, for now, you can call it..."

"Surprise A," ended Ulrich. "Back to work."

* * *

Aelita took deep breaths in and out. When it came right down to it, she was nervous, but she couldn't figure out why. She had known him for years, couldn't recall how many times she had kissed him, and had been out with him twice, but her stomach was squirming all the same. It happened every time she thought about her relationship with him.

It boggled her mind, the effect he had on her! He didn't even seem to _try_, yet Jeremie could turn her thoughts to mush in an instant with just one look her way! With a smile, a hug, a touch of hands, a kiss...She just didn't understand. And for some reason, beyond all comprehension, she actually _liked_ that feeling.

At first she thought all these sensations were just her body adapting to Earth, but time wore on, and they only got stronger. If any of these had to do with the fact that she wasn't really human, she wasn't sure. But it just didn't seem fair that Jeremie could make her go weak in the knees with such ease.

A knock on her door brought her out of her thoughts and she knew who it was. Calming herself down, she answered it and found Jeremie standing shyly in front of her. _Her _Jeremie.

"Hi, Aelita," said Jeremie, but he was engulfed in a hug before he could say more.

Aelita breathed him in. He even smelled the same! She was curious about why he had stunk so badly for the past week or so, but there was another time and place for that. Aelita realized what she was doing and let go of him, hoping she hadn't just ruined the whole evening.

"Wow," muttered Jeremie. Aelita was confused, but then understood he was talking about her change of attire. That visit to the mall must have paid off.

"Um, should we go?" asked Aelita; she enjoyed the attention, but it made her anxious. She really couldn't see what was so special about a pink skirt and shirt, but that was her point of view.

"Sure," said Jeremie, adjusting his glasses. It felt good to be wearing them again, and for once his eyes weren't watering from that disgusting cologne he had managed to throw away.

Aelita's mind flitted from Jeremie to thoughts of today. Everyone expected something to happen between Jeremie and Aelita; even the teachers in class kept their eyes peeled for romance. However, the two acted like it was any other day, which was strange for the both of them.

"After you," said Jeremie, gesturing to a doorway. Aelita looked up at the large building that was rented to the school in town for student functions, and giggled at the flashing decorative hearts.

Her laughter died the moment she laid eyes on Theo, walking in front of them. He turned around and smiled at her, flashing his teeth, and the color from Aelita's face drained. A thousand thoughts could have been racing through her head right then. Like "Why is he here?" and "What am I going to do?" but instead, she had a wish.

Aelita really wished the girls hadn't talked her into buying a miniskirt.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko

**A/N: **Special thanks to Aechigo for looking this over.

Chapter 11

Aelita gulped and squeezed Jeremie's hand, letting a group of people go in before them. Jeremie winced but tried to squeeze back. It was quite apparent that she had no knowledge of Theo's presence at the party.

"Aelita, if you don't want to go-" said Jeremie, but she shook her head.

"No, let's go," said Aelita, pulling him forward.

Jeremie was jerked inside and his jaw dropped. It was just one big vast room, a dance floor, snack tables, a movie playing in the corner. There was also someone throwing rose petals around and shooting suction arrows at the walls, but he tried not to pay attention to that. Aelita's eyes were wide with wonder and he smiled.

"It's amazing!" said Aelita, trying to drink it all in at once. "I've never seen anything so...pink and red!"

Jeremie nodded and followed her as she weaved through the crowd of teenagers to the dance floor. He blushed, knowing what he was expected to do. If only he knew how!

"Come on, Jeremie!" said Aelita cheerfully, spinning around. "It's fun!"

Jeremie made agreeing noises, but didn't move. Aelita sighed and grabbed his hands, putting them around her waist and her own on his shoulders, just like her teachers told her to.

Jeremie stammered at this, but went along with it, letting her lead. All he wanted was to not step on her foot. She made small talk like Yumi said, asking him about the antivirus, school, if he still had "family troubles," (he stuttered and said no) and anything else to keep an awkward pause from coming up, which according to Naomi, was a surefire way to let something embarrassing slip. Aelita didn't see the sense in this; it wasn't like she was going to say she loved him out of nowhere. At least, she hoped she wouldn't.

"Hey, Aelita, would you like some food?" asked Jeremie, noticing she looked a bit tired. Well, he thought it was from dancing, but most of it was staying up late with the girls.

"That would be wonderful," said Aelita appreciatively. They wandered over to the refreshment stand first then got some popcorn, simultaneously agreeing it might be a good idea to watch a movie and relax.

They couldn't tell what movie was playing, but it was obvious it had to do with Valentine's Day. There were around twenty or so armchairs, enough for a small audience, and some kids were sitting on the floor. There was one chair left and Jeremie offered it to Aelita.

"No, Jeremie, you sit down," argued Aelita.

"Aelita, I'm not letting you sit on the floor," said Jeremie.

"Please sit down?" asked Aelita, staring him in the eye, the only way she knew that would always get him to say yes to her. Once again, it worked.

Jeremie grudgingly sat down, and was greeted with a surprise. Aelita perched herself on the arm of the chair, smiling at him. He grinned, satisfied with the arrangement.

But Jeremie found it rather hard to watch the movie. One, because, there were more than a few fiery kisses in it. Two, because many couples in the audience were copying it. The third reason didn't present itself until about halfway through. Aelita wobbled and fell into the seat, and he could have sworn he saw Sissi smirking as she left for a soda.

"Oh, I'm sorry," apologized Aelita, blushing as she realized she was sitting in his lap. But she didn't move. "I-Is this okay?"

"Of course," said Jeremie, the words coming out of his mouth before he could stop them. Was that him speaking?

Aelita sat up and figured she needed to hold on the something to keep her up and not laying down. Beaming mischievously, she snaked her arm around Jeremie's neck and set her head next to his.

Jeremie went red, but tried not to dwell on it. He felt his focus turn to her every few seconds though, much to his dismay. Aelita was becoming entranced with the movie, he was already entranced with her. Simple enough, right?

"Oh, that's so romantic!" said Aelita, after a particularly gushy (In Jeremie's opinion) moment in the film. "Don't you think so, Jeremie?"

"Yeah," said Jeremie feebly.

He looked around; his mentors had said they'd be at the party, and he could use some advice. He couldn't believe he had missed Odd sitting a few feet away. It wouldn't be easy getting his attention, though, seeing as the other blonde was making out with Melanie. Jeremie looked back at the screen before Melanie broke it off and glanced at Aelita, who had been watching them. Melanie winked and Aelita nodded.

Aelita looked at Jeremie and inched her head forward, trying to catch him by surprise. She was almost there when she felt something cold slide across the small of her back. She shivered and reluctantly turned her head, seeing Theo pass by and sit on the ground.

Jeremie looked away from the TV to miss another awkward romance scene, and was startled to find Aelita closer to him than he remembered. She looked sad.

"Aelita, is something the matter?" whispered Jeremie, shaking out her of her own world.

"Uh, this movie is getting dull, do you want to go do something else?" asked Aelita.

"Sure," said Jeremie. It was like she was reading his mind! "We could play some games."

"Sounds perfect," said Aelita, standing up and grabbing his hand. Jeremie was surprised by her sudden change of mind, until his eyes rested on Theo. Jeremie threw him a glare that lasted until Aelita started talking to him.

"Hey, this looks like fun!" said Aelita, pointing to a large circle of kids. Jeremie let her lead him to an empty spot and realized something. There was a bottle in the middle.

"A-Aelita, do you know what this game is?" asked Jeremie weakly.

"Uh huh, Yumi explained it to me," said Aelita confidently. "That's how she got a kiss from Ulrich once. I had to pry it out of her, but..."

She trailed off as someone spun, and waited excitedly for it to land on someone. She watched in fascination as the two students shared a quick peck on the lips, earning yells and cheers from everyone else. A half hour went by and people both left and joined the game. Jeremie was wringing his hands, hoping Aelita would get tired of the game before one of them got picked, but alas, it was not a night in his favor.

"Okay, Aelita's turn!" said Milly, handing Aelita the empty bottle. Whispers spread like wildfire, most of them were bets that she would land on Jeremie.

Aelita crossed her fingers, hoping for the same thing, and spun it, stepping out of the way. Fervent muttering darted back and forth ans the bottle began slowing down. Jeremie couldn't even bear to watch. Aelita looked where the bottle pointed at and gasped with everyone else. Jeremie opened his eyes.

"Well, it looks like I won!"

Aelita shook her head, unable to make a sound. The bottle had not stopped on Theo. No, it wasn't possible. She knew she was in denial, but she didn't care. Why couldn't it land on Jeremie?

Jeremie was shaking. Was everyone really expecting him to sit here and watch the love of his life kiss someone else? It might be for the best if he just left, he had said he wouldn't make a scene. As if in slow-motion Theo stood up and went to claim his prize, but Aelita was running out of the building before he had taken two steps.

Jeremie got to his feet and started running after her, but fell to the ground with a thud. He opened his eyes and saw Theo running ahead of him.

"Jeremie, go after her!" yelled Ulrich.

* * *

Aelita ran until she reached the parking lot in the back, and clutched her side as she leaned on a streetlight for support. Tears streamed down her face, but she didn't know why. She hadn't actually kissed Theo, she managed to flirt with Jeremie, so why was she crying?

She hiccuped and tried to stop crying, and felt something go around her waist and rest on her hips. Something cold, something familiar...

"Jeremie?" asked Aelita, a hint of uncertainty in her quivering voice. Her heart was ramming against her chest and it was telling her something wasn't right. "Jeremie?"

Aelita shivered as she felt warm breath on her ear. But her knees weren't shaking, her thoughts were clear, and she was afraid. This wasn't Jeremie. Aelita whirled around.

"Hello," said Theo, grinning in the dim light. Aelita gulped.

"Theo, could you maybe step out of my personal bubble?" asked Aelita meekly.

"Now why would I do that?" asked Theo. She backed into the streetlight and tried to sound braver than she felt.

"I slapped you once, I can do it a lot harder this time," threatened Aelita, hating her voice for shaking.

"Listen, Aelita, I'm willing to forget what happened if you are," said Theo, moving closer.

"I'm serious, Theo!" said Aelita loudly.

"Come on, you know the rules of Spin the Bottle," said Theo, smiling. "I know you wanted it to be that Jeremie guy, but maybe fate's trying to tell you otherwise."

Aelita sniffed and let a fat tear roll down. Theo smiled. If it was Jeremie, he'd be hugging her close and promising that everything would be alright. Aelita swallowed a sob and resorted to drastic measures.

"Maybe," murmured Aelita, attempting to speak in a hypnotic tone, noting his lips moving closer to hers. Nonetheless, she remained as far back as the streetlight would allow. "And maybe this won't hurt."

This puzzled Theo, but he proceeded. He never had a chance to taste Aelita's lips, though, before she raised her knee up hard and brought it back down. He froze for a moment, then collapsed on the pavement. Theo swore loudly and Aelita yelped, feeling something warm go around her middle.

"Well done, Princess."

* * *

Jeremie picked himself up and sprinted out of the building, racing to the sound of voices. He skidded on the concrete and found Aelita standing next to an old streetlight, with Theo towering over her. Jeremie gritted his teeth but didn't barge in. He knew Theo could hurt Aelita if he wanted to.

Instead Jeremie quietly darted through the shadows, getting closer and closer until he could hear what they were saying, and was in position to take action if need be.

"Come on, you know the rules of spin the bottle," said Theo. Jeremie wanted to rip the smirk off his face, but resisted the urge. "I know you wanted it to be that Jeremie guy, but maybe fate's trying to tell you otherwise."

"Maybe," said Aelita quietly. Jeremie's throat went dry. Aelita wanted to play because of him? He heard Aelita mutter something, but couldn't distinguish the words. Her actions, though, were crystal clear.

The only thing Jeremie heard as he ran over to Aelita was Theo swear. Not that Jeremie could blame him. He wrapped his arms around Aelita in a backwards hug and congratulated her.

"Well done, Princess," said Jeremie, squeezing her tighter.

"Jeremie!" said Aelita happily, turning around in his arms to return the hug.

"Aelita, go back to the party," said Jeremie. "Find Odd and Ulrich. They'll make sure nothing happens to you. I've got something to take care of."

Aelita's eyes held a glimpse of fear, but she nodded and went into the safety of the building. Jeremie smiled and bent down so that he was at eye-level with Theo.

"You know, I could, and probably should, beat the crap out of you right now," said Jeremie, as if discussing yesterday's history homework. Theo lunged for him but groaned and stayed still. "But overall, I suppose I'm a pretty good guy. So I'm going to give you another chance. Sound fair?"

Theo muttered something that sounded like an insult, but Jeremie brushed it off.

"You'll stay away from Aelita," said Jeremie firmly. "You won't ever touch her again. The only reason I'm being this nice is because I can imagine the pain you're going through, so I'm calling it even. Do we have a deal?"

Theo looked up at Jeremie, shooting him a loathsome look. But after a minute, he nodded.

"Jeremie!" called Ulrich, steering him by the shoulders inside. All of his teachers were huddled together.

"Where were you when I needed you guys?" asked Jeremie angrily.

"Partying, of course!" said Thomas. "What happened with Theo?"

"Theo's taken care of," said Jeremie vaguely. "You guys think I could have the rest of the night off?"

"Uh, sure, I guess," said Odd, looking at the others. They were confused by Jeremie's calmness, and knew something was up.

"Right, well, happy Valentine's Day," said Jeremie. "Oh, have you seen Aelita?"

"I told her to sit down for a few minutes," said Ulrich, smirking. So that was why Jeremie wasn't rattled. He didn't want Aelita to worry.

"Thanks," said Jeremie.

* * *

Aelita was sipping some fruit punch next to the table, one arm wrapped around herself. She wanted so badly for Jeremie to be in here with her, and away from Theo. But she'd respect his wishes. The thought of how many vicious rumors would be spread by this time tomorrow, just because she had used a trick she had learned from watching television, only depressed her further.

"You should be having fun."

Aelita looked up and saw Jeremie smiling at her, without a scratch on him!

"Jeremie!" cried Aelita, dropping the punch on the floor. "What happened? Are you okay? What about-"

"It's all taken care of, Aelita, don't panic," said Jeremie, patting her back while she hugged him.

"But what about..." said Aelita, but she trailed off.

"It's fine, Aelita," said Jeremie, still smiling. "Why don't we just enjoy the rest of the night?"

"Uh, sounds great," answered Aelita.

Jeremie's grin widened and he slipped his hand in hers. Aelita gasped, surprised at his boldness, but didn't pull away. She wanted answers, but maybe he was right. Maybe she just needed to enjoy tonight and ask later. Aelita owed that much to him.

* * *

"Good night, Jeremie," said Aelita, beaming. It seemed like the perfect night, with the perfect boy.

"Good night, Aelita," said Jeremie, his heart thumping.

"Will you tell me what happened between you and Theo someday?" asked Aelita earnestly, grabbing hold of his hands.

"All I did was have a little chat with him," said Jeremie modestly. He rubbed her hands in his subconsciously, trying to keep them warm. Even though they weren't cold.

"It must have been some chat," said Aelita warmly, taking a step closer to him.

"Er, yeah, I-I guess," said Jeremie, his face feeling hot. "I'm really impressed with how you stood up to him."

"It was nothing," said Aelita, blushing. "I'm just grateful you showed up when you did."

Jeremie's face flushed. Now seemed like the perfect opportunity to tell her. It was Valentine's Day, he had spent the whole night with her, there couldn't possibly be a better time!

"Aelita, there's something I've been wanting to tell you," said Jeremie, pulling her closer, if that was possible.

"Yes?" asked Aelita, her hopes rising. Was he going to say it?

Jeremie opened his mouth, but closed it. A realization hit him. This was the_worst _time to tell her! They were fighting Xana, they were still both shaken by Theo, and she most likely barely understood what love was! What was he thinking?

Jeremie sighed. The one thing he wanted to tell her, and he couldn't. First his shyness, now the timing. The thing was, he was running _out_ of time to tell her. But not tonight. He'd ask Odd and Ulrich for their advice and try to come up with a solution. Jeremie made the mistake of looking down at her, and part of the truth slipped out.

"You're beautiful," said Jeremie finally, holding her hands tight and leaning in the kiss her cheek.

Aelita stared at him, seeing sadness in his eyes. The kiss was full of warmth, and he seemed so happy tonight. What went wrong?

"Jeremie," murmured Aelita, feeling her hands drop of out his. Now that she looked back on it, that kiss was almost painful, in its own way. Her eyes started brimming with tears, and she wished they wouldn't. Jeremie spoke kind words, but they weren't the ones she wanted to hear.

"Don't cry, Aelita," said Jeremie softly, pulling her into a hug. "Everything will be alright."

Aelita looked up at him and nodded. She'd get her answers tomorrow, she'd make sure of that. However, she wanted to give Jeremie something to think about as well. She planted her mouth on his lips for a moment, before removing them.

"Thanks for walking me back to my dorm," said Aelita quietly, turning the doorknob behind her. "I'll see you in the morning."

Jeremie grinned dreamily, surprised by her actions. But he knew he'd have some explaining to do, sooner or later.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Code Lyoko.

Chapter 12

Aelita sat up and stretched. She had woken up fifteen minutes early. Not that it mattered, she hadn't slept much at all. This time she was thinking, though, not learning new techniques to win over Jeremie.

Why couldn't she get it right? All she wanted was to make him happy, and she figured that being his girlfriend would make that more possible. Jeremie had given her everything, and there had to be a way to repay him.

But last night, when he complimented her, it hurt. She had been so sure he would say it, she could see it in his eyes! He still smiled when she kissed him, but that wasn't enough. Aelita needed to hear it.

However, before she took care of that, she'd get answers.

* * *

Jeremie paced back and forth in his room, unable to concentrate on the antivirus. It only reminded him of Aelita. She seemed...disappointed in him. Like he had let her down. But in a way, wasn't he protecting her? Couldn't Xana use their relationship to his advantage? Didn't he already?

"I'm sorry, Aelita," said Jeremie, to no one in particular. An apology that could never be accepted.

He picked up his cell phone and dialed Ulrich, tapping his foot impatiently as it rang.

"Y'allo?" asked Ulrich from the other end, displeased with being woken up in such a manner.

"Ulrich, I need some help," confessed Jeremie.

"Einstein, you may go a little nuts every now and then, but you aren't completely off your rocker," joked Ulrich.

"Could you be serious?" asked Jeremie, annoyed. "I couldn't tell Aelita."

"Couldn't tell her what?" asked Ulrich groggily.

"I couldn't tell her how I feel about her!" yelled Jeremie.

"What interrupted you this time?" asked Ulrich.

"Nothing," said Jeremie, calming down. "But it felt like it wasn't the right time. I mean, with Xana, and Theo, and her adjusting to Earth, I didn't think I should."

"Are you telling me we wasted all that time?" asked Odd.

"I'm on speaker, aren't I?" asked Jeremie dully. "No, I just don't know what went wrong. I was ready to say it, but all these reasons not to popped up, and I was afraid."

"The question is, do you love Aelita or not?" asked Odd solemnly.

"Of course, but-" said Jeremie, but Ulrich cut him off.

"No buts," said Ulrich. "And do you think Aelita has the right to know?"

"Absolutely," said Jeremie. "However-"

"And do you want her to date someone else?" asked Odd.

"No!" said Jeremie.

"Then forget about what might happen and things that aren't going perfectly right now," ordered Ulrich. "You want her to be happy, right?"

"Most definitely," answered Jeremie.

"Well, having a negative attitude is gonna make that kinda hard!" said Odd.

"You're right," said Jeremie, after a few seconds. "So, what now?"

"Now you tell us what happened last night when you walked Aelita back to her dorm after the party," said Ulrich.

"Well, we talked, we said goodnight, then I tried to say it," listed Jeremie. "Instead I told her she was beautiful and kissed her on the cheek. Then she kissed me and went to bed."

"Jeremie, you're sending her mixed signals!" said Odd, pretending to be antagonized. "Now you have to give her a day or two to mull all this over."

"What?" asked Jeremie, startled.

"Hey, you said it yourself, she needs to adjust to Earth," said Ulrich. "And right now, you're not helping. Let her call Yumi and think about things, then tell her."

"Just great," Jeremie mumbled. What else would he screw up?

"What are you doing up this early, anyway?" asked Ulrich, on the verge of falling back asleep.

"I couldn't go to bed," said Jeremie. "And I couldn't work on the antivirus. It only reminded me of Aelita."

"I wonder why," said Odd sarcastically. "Just think about the flower arrangements for when you and Aelita get married. Maybe that'll help."

"Odd!" yelled Jeremie. "I'll see you guys in class. Bye."

"Bye," chorused Odd and Ulrich.

* * *

"Gosh, Aelita, I don't know what to tell you," said Naomi worriedly, as Aelita kept walking back and forth in her dorm.

"I wonder what got in the way," said Emily.

"Maybe it's not Belpois," said Sissi. "Maybe it's just you."

"Sissi!" said Claire angrily. "There is nothing wrong with Aelita!"

"Who knows? Maybe he doesn't want someone so shy," said Sissi, shrugging.

"Shy?" asked Aelita. "I've kissed him, asked him out, and flirted with him on a regular basis! How can you possibly classify that as shy?"

"He could be waiting for you to say it," offered Melanie. "You know, make the first move."

"Sure," said Aelita, fighting off a wave of deja vu. Returns to the past usually made them come up. "But how do I do that?"

"Well, you could be more, you know, direct," said Camille. "Er, be more flirtatious?"

"But not just with Jeremie," said Azra devilishly. "With other guys, too. That'll get his attention."

"No way," said Aelita firmly. "I am not trying that! Wasn't that what Theo was for in the first place?"

"And Jeremie almost admitted his feelings!" said Heidi excitedly.

"That doesn't prove anything!" argued Aelita. "If Jeremie started flirting with other girls I'd be crushed! I'm not putting him through that!"

"First off, Aelita, Jeremie would never even consider looking at another girl, okay?" said Jean reassuringly. "Second, he'll cool down once he admits he's crazy about you."

"And after he beats the tar out of whoever you flirt with," said Melanie, smirking.

"So, who are the unlucky guys?" asked Camille. "Perhaps Herve? Jeremie might take pity on him."

"Or William!" said Heidi. "I don't think Ulrich would mind if he stopped paying attention to Yumi."

"What about Thomas?" suggested Sissi curiously. "I could see that."

"I haven't agreed to this!" said Aelita furiously. "I'm not exactly looking forward to breaking Jeremie's heart!"

"Aelita, it'll be worth it!" promised Naomi.

"I don't like making Jeremie angry," said Aelita, in a softer tone.

"Then we'll do it subtly," Azra decided. "Small-scale flirting. Jeremie will notice, but won't make a big deal about it until it really starts to get to him."

"I still don't like the plan," said Aelita anxiously.

"Plan G is fool-proof," said Claire. "We'll put it to action tomorrow in class."

"Oh, uh, um, alright," said Aelita hesitantly. She didn't like this scheme, but Yumi said it was a good idea to listen to them, and she did feel a stronger bond with Jeremie.

"Great!" cheered Emily. "You won't regret this. Come on, girls, let's give her some breathing room."

"Wait!" said Aelita. "What should I do about Jeremie in the meantime?"

"Um, I guess you should just act like you usually do around him," said Melanie.

"So, can I go see him?" asked Aelita nervously.

"I don't know if that's a good idea," said Jean slowly, glancing at the others for support. "It might just make the situation worse."

"Fine," agreed Aelita.

"We'll see you later, Aelita," said Emily, smiling. Aelita nodded and they left.

She flopped back down on her bed and sighed. Even when he wasn't there, Jeremie still clouded her thoughts! It was completely unfair! Aelita buried her head in the pillow, trying to think of something else, but to no avail.

"Jeremie," whispered Aelita. Why was the sound of his name so addicting?

Aelita sat up and opened the door, making sure the girls had left. She didn't care what they said, she was going to see Jeremie.

* * *

Jeremie shoved his hands in his pockets as he stormed down the hallway. He just wanted one fleeting glance at Aelita, just to make sure she was alive!

He would have bet his entire life savings that these classes would sabotage any progress he had made with Aelita romantically. Instead, it had increased ten fold, and in ways he didn't expect. He thought that when he finally mustered up the courage, he would say "I love you" and hope she would return his feelings. Instead he had nearly strangled a classmate, saved her from a fork, and embarrassed himself beyond belief. Things he had never thought possible, for the sake of...love. Wow, that sounded cliché.

Jeremie realized he was staring at his feet as he walked, and knew he'd most likely bang into someone. He looked up and stopped in his tracks. Aelita was walking right in front of him, right _towards_ him, actually. She was staring at her boots, though, and was about to collide with him.

"Aelita!" said Jeremie, surprised. She jerked her head up and her eyes widened.

"J-Jeremie!" cried Aelita, stopped a few feet in front of him. "W-What are you doing here?"

"Just, uh, taking a walk," said Jeremie, blushing. "You?"

"Oh, same thing," lied Aelita, feeling the red tinge her cheeks. "So, how's the antivirus coming?"

"It's, it's coming," said Jeremie shakily.

"Do you need some help?" asked Aelita.

"Well, the computer is making the necessary calculations on its own right now," said Jeremie, scratching the back of his head. "So, I-I guess we could, um, meet with the others. I mean, if you want."

"I think Odd and Ulrich are outside playing soccer," said Aelita. "I'm not really that energetic today, so I'll pass."

"Yeah, me too," said Jeremie, grinning nervously. He was burning with curiosity, wanting to ask why she started crying last night. Guilt mixed in with it, knowing he was defying his instructors.

"So, uh, maybe we could go into town or something?" suggested Aelita bashfully.

"S-Sure," said Jeremie, nodding his head vigorously. Aelita giggled. He was so _cute_!

"Um, great!" said Aelita, smiling.

Jeremie opened the door for her and they stepped outside. Would his teachers classify this as a date as well? Would they find out about it? What would happen if they did?

"Jeremie, is it always this cold in February?" asked Aelita, rubbing her arms and watching her breath come out in puffs.

"Well, normally, yeah," said Jeremie, noticing that he was shivering, as well. "Sorry, guess I should have warned you."

"It's okay, I've already told you I like the feeling of being a little chilly," replied Aelita.

Jeremie blushed again. His eyes kept flitting over to her, and every time he did, his heart beat just a bit faster. Winter winds whipped through her hair and pounded against her clothes. If this was chilly, he'd hate to see her idea of freezing.

Aelita was sneaking glances at Jeremie, too. Their eyes just never met. She wanted to ask him about last night, but something held her back. What would she say? _Jeremie, were you trying to say you love me last night?_ Aelita flushed with embarrassment just thinking about it.

"Aelita, are you sure you're not too cold?" asked Jeremie, noting her red cheeks.

"I guess it's more than a little chilly," answered Aelita, laughing a little.

"Well, there's a small flower shop just ahead," said Jeremie, pointing the building out. "We could go in there to warm up for a while. If you want."

"Sounds wonderful," said Aelita, charmed by his thoughtfulness.

The shop was cozy and warm on the inside. Smells swirled around in the air, but it seemed they were the only ones in there.

"I wonder where the florist is?" thought Aelita out loud. "Do you think it's alright for us to be in here?"

"I don't think anyone will mind if two kids are trying to escape hypothermia," said Jeremie, smiling kindly at her.

Aelita nodded and rubbed her hands together, breathing into them occasionally. Jeremie covered them with his own numb fingers automatically. Aelita froze, not moving a muscle. Jeremie sheepishly withdrew his hands, mumbling an "I'm sorry."

The corners of Aelita's mouth tugged upward as her face heated up. The subtle things he did made her feel so lucky to be in love with him. She just hoped he would feel the same way.

Jeremie let his gaze linger on her until he felt something poke him in the back. Something was shoved in his hand and Jeremie brought it up between him and Aelita. A yellow rose. Huh?

"_Everlasting love."_

Jeremie didn't dare turn his head. He didn't know who, or what, had whispered that in his ear, and he was a little afraid to find out.

Jeremie looked at the rose, then Aelita, then the rose again. Without thinking, he held it out to her. Aelita's face broke out into a grin and she clasped her hands around its stem, staring at it in awe as if it were a rare gem.

Aelita turned her attention to Jeremie, reveling in the kindness of his action. Warmth was practically radiating from his eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him close. He sputtered for a few minutes before returning the hug.

"Thank you, Jeremie," said Aelita, twirling the rose between her fingers. It's like he'd made it appear by magic! "It's beautiful."

Jeremie pondered his response before replying. He could say the rose wasn't nearly as beautiful as her, which was exceedingly true, but it was overdone. Making himself look like a dork wouldn't help Jeremie at this point. A few weeks ago, he wouldn't have hesitated to admit this, but taking "Flirting 101" as he referred to it made him cautious of these things.

Jeremie decided the best thing would be to stay silent, reducing the risk of embarrassing himself. He felt content in her presence; he couldn't understand it, let alone explain it. Holding her was one of the best sensations he'd ever experienced.

Aelita inhaled deeply, running her hands over his arms. This surpassed beating Xana a hundred times over. Time alone with Jeremie, time that wasn't planned or prepared.

"Aelita, um, it's getting kind of late," said Jeremie, feeling a little uncomfortable with the quiet after a while. The slightest sound made him cautious of being walked in on.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Aelita, unclasping her arms from his. "Jim will have a fit if he finds out we're gone."

Jeremie smiled as Aelita brought the rose up to her nose and took in its scent. He curiously turned his head from side to side, hoping to find the source of the flower, but had no luck. He followed Aelita out of the small shop, feeling her hand slip into his.

Once they were outside, Jean poked her head out from behind the desk, beaming at a job well done. Maybe it was for the best that Aelita went against her instructions, and this way she even helped out Jeremie. Working part-time at this place had it's advantages.

Jean went back to sorting carnations. She'd have a fierce punishment if the old florist got back from his lunch break and she wasn't doing something. Besides, Jean had a feeling Aelita was in safe hands at the moment.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: Xana will pledge his love to mankind before I own Code Lyoko.

Chapter 13

Aelita put the rose in her backpack. Not the ideal choice of placement, but she couldn't risk her teachers finding it and asking questions. Her thoughts drifted to her favorite young genius, making her go into a dreamy haze. This seemed to occur more and more often. Did that mean she was falling deeper in love with him? Was she even sure what love was?

Aelita groaned and set her head on the wall. She had to wonder, did Jeremie think about her just as much as she did him? She didn't think it was likely. Or even possible.

She glanced at the clock. It was almost time for dinner. Hard to imagine how fast time went by on Earth. But the night was still young. Aelita still had time to dread tomorrow and its plan.

* * *

12:37. It was 12:37 in the morning, and they were still discussing tactics. Would they ever give it a rest?

"What about joining the soccer team?" suggested Ulrich.

"Einstein would get knocked out by the ball before two minutes go by!" exclaimed Odd, laughing.

"Okay, he could go for that sweet romantic angle," said Alexandre. "Make her dinner or something."

"I can't cook to save my life, sorry," said Jeremie dully. He was almost begging for some sleep, just so he wouldn't have to listen to this anymore. He didn't want a chance to slip up and tell them about his afternoon.

"Well, what else is there?" asked Bastien, starting to doze off.

"We boost Jer's spontaneous behavior," said Odd. "Remember how I got him to kiss Aelita?"

"Yes," said Jeremie bitterly. "And you're not getting my extra portions."

"You'll change your mind after you're dating Aelita," said Odd, grinning. "If we can get you to act on impulse more often, you'll have to tell her you love her."

"No offense, Odd, but I think calling Jeremie a chicken is going to wear off after a while," said William.

"Then we'll just come up with other methods," said Odd. "Jeremie, how often do you think of Aelita?"

"Nearly every minute of every day," said Jeremie bluntly. Surely they'd figured that out by now?

"Okay, and how often do you have the urge to kiss her?" asked Christophe.

"Almost every other time I think about her," said Jeremie. He could barely think straight. Usually when he was awake this late, his eyes were glued to his computer screen. He was doing something. It was hard to remain conscious when he was just sitting there.

"What would it take for you to act on it?" asked Thomas.

"How should I know?" asked Jeremie, shrugging.

"Ugh, maybe we should just pick this up in the morning," said Romain. "Let's call it a night, guys."

"Night, Einstein," said Ulrich.

Jeremie nodded and collapsed on his bed. Sleep sounded like absolute bliss right now, something he was not accustomed to feeling. He'd gladly take it right now, though.

* * *

Lace up right boot. Lace up left boot. Grab history book. These thoughts were the ones that ran through Aelita's head. She was merely trying to keep the plan out of her mind until it was necessary. Her afternoon with Jeremie yesterday was only making it harder.

The phone rang and Aelita looked at the number. It was Lola. She answered and was showered with encouragement and reminders.

"Okay, okay, I know what to do," said Aelita. "Can we just get this over with?"

"Aelita, it'll work better with a positive attitude," said Lola, hushing the other girls around the phone. "Don't worry, what could go wrong?"

"Nurse Yolande could have her hands pretty full for a while," said Aelita gravely.

"Quit being so down!" ordered Sissi. "We told you, if you do it right, it will only agitate Jeremie."

"Right, well, I'm going to breakfast," replied Aelita.

She shoved the mobile in her pocket and stared at her feet as she left. For some reason it felt like she was going to be executioned when she got to the cafeteria.

* * *

Jeremie quietly moved his oatmeal around while Odd and Ulrich bounced ideas off him. He was the only one to notice Aelita walk through the double doors. The only one to notice her walk over to where Julian sat. The only one to watch her touch his hand and laugh when he greeted her. He was the only one who didn't smile when she walked over and sat down next to him.

"So, what are you three talking about?" asked Aelita cheerfully.

"Nothing," said Odd and Ulrich in unison. Aelita turned her attention to Jeremie, noting his silence.

"Is something the matter, Jeremie?" asked Aelita nervously.

"No," lied Jeremie, not looking at her.

Aelita's stomach squirmed uncomfortably. She had said hello to Julian like Naomi suggested, then walked over as if she had done nothing wrong, but Jeremie still seemed upset. Well, that was the point, but she didn't like it.

"Xana's been quiet lately, hasn't he?" asked Aelita, trying to start a conversation.

"It's kind of weird," said Ulrich. "Have you seen anything strange on Lyoko, Jeremie?"

"Nope," said Jeremie shortly. Aelita sighed.

Jeremie really wanted to believe that he hadn't seen what he thought he had. That it was just another Theo incident. But the fact was, she walked up to Julian and started flirting. Jeremie didn't think any amount of explaining could solve that. Was Aelita doing it on purpose? He didn't want to think that, but trying to judge from his teacher's nagging and Aelita's actions was very difficult.

Aelita felt like she was going to throw up. She was against Plan, well, she couldn't even remember now, but she was against it from the start. And now Jeremie wasn't just irritated, he was angry. That was the worst emotion Aelita had ever felt, and she didn't want Jeremie to suffer from it.

She felt her stomach lurch and realized that she might actually get sick. Aelita stood up and ran out of the cafeteria, racing for the bathroom. By the time she got there, though, she no longer needed to empty the contents of her belly.

Knowing she couldn't go back to the lunchroom, Aelita went to her dorm. Why did her stroke of illness just come and go like that? She hadn't eaten anything, so it couldn't be the food Rosa served. Aelita plunged her head in her pillow, drowning out the sound of students chatting in the hall. It didn't block a loud knock on her door a few moments later.

"Come in," said Aelita, not lifting her head. She knew who it was. _They_were back, ready to suggest another guy, hoping for another result. Aelita raised her head up just enough so her mouth could move. "Look guys, I'm sorry I messed it up. Whatever other boy you've planned for me to flirt with next, I don't want to hear it."

"Would you like to get a cup of coffee?"

Aelita opened her eyes and looked to the side. Jeremie was kneeling down next to her, his face expressionless. It was obvious he had heard her, but he wasn't making a big deal out of it. She sat up and nodded.

Jeremie gave her a small smile. Her words, clearly not meant for him, were confusing. He didn't dare try to conclude something from them; after all, he didn't know the whole story.

They walked without speaking. There was nothing to say. Their shoes crunching against a thin blanket of snow sounded loudly through the frigid air. Aelita followed Jeremie off the school campus and to a small coffee shop. She thought he meant going to the vending machines, but in the immortal words of Odd, the coffee there tasted "like freshly ground dirt with a few rocks mixed in."

Once they were poured two steaming cups, they found a small table in a corner. Jeremie pulled out Aelita's chair for her. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.

"Aelita, can we talk?" asked Jeremie nervously.

"Uh, sure," said Aelita, taking a sip of the scolding coffee. She bit her tongue and winced, but listened intently. "What about?"

"Well, you haven't been yourself lately," said Jeremie. "And I was wondering if there was a problem."

"I-I don't know what you mean," lied Aelita. Jeremie frowned; this would be harder than he thought.

"What about the make-up?" asked Jeremie, looking back to the beginning of her odd behavior. "The clothes? The flirting?"

"What about it?" asked Aelita evenly.

"Aelita, it's just not you," said Jeremie calmly. He didn't want to start a fight, he wanted some answers. "Why bother with it?"

"I was curious," Aelita answered.

"Why didn't you just ask Yumi about it?" asked Jeremie.

"I don't know," said Aelita. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, Aelita," Jeremie said. "I just want to know what's been going on with you."

"Well," replied Aelita, hesitating. "Thanks for your concern."

"Can I ask you something?" asked Jeremie politely. He had an instinct that Aelita wasn't being totally honest with him.

"Of course," said Aelita, blowing on her coffee.

"What was up with you and Julian this morning?" asked Jeremie, hoping it didn't sound as bad out loud as it did in his head.

"Nothing," said Aelita quickly.

"Okay," said Jeremie. He didn't want to push her.

Aelita swallowed a groan. According to Heidi, if Jeremie was jealous enough, he would tell her that Julian could never love her as much as he did. Something along those lines, anyway. Instead Jeremie was acting like the gentleman he usually was. In this case, it wasn't doing a lot of good.

"Jeremie, can I ask you something?" questioned Aelita.

"Sure," said Jeremie, adding creamer to his drink.

"Why don't you ever wear your glasses anymore?" For some reason, Jeremie hadn't worn his glasses since the party, and Aelita wanted to know why.

"Um, I guess I'm used to the contacts," said Jeremie, his face going red. "Why? You like my glasses?"

"Well, yeah," said Aelita, blushing lightly. "They look good on you."

"Oh, o-okay," stuttered Jeremie. This conversation was not going where he planned.

"Jeremie, are you in love?" asked Aelita shyly. This startled Jeremie, but he was getting used to her blunt questions.

"Um, well...I-I guess so," said Jeremie, biting his lip. He swallowed hard. "Are you?"

"I think I am," answered Aelita. She had lied to him enough today.

"Oh, that's, er, nice," said Jeremie awkwardly. What was he saying? Aelita nodded in agreement.

That was either very good, or very bad for him. Jeremie was too afraid to ask.

"Jeremie, how did you handle Theo on Saturday?" asked Aelita.

"We had an...understanding," said Jeremie. "He's not going to bother you anymore."

"Thank you," said Aelita quietly. She didn't need anymore information. "You've done a lot for me, Jeremie."

Jeremie didn't respond. If he disagreed, she would list countless small things he had done for her that didn't matter. In truth, she had done far more for him.

"Aelita, um, have you told this person that you love them?" asked Jeremie. It shot out of his mouth before he could stop it. Aelita was taken aback.

"Uh, no," answered Aelita. Was he trying to get her to say it first?

Jeremie nodded and looked down at his coffee. He admitted he was curious, desperately hoping she was in love with him, but didn't want to pressure her into confessing anything she didn't want to. The guys and Yumi all said Aelita was crazy about him, but you could never be too sure.

"Jeremie, if...if I wanted t-to tell this person how I feel, how would I go about it?" asked Aelita, shrinking into her chair. What better teacher in love than the one she was in love with?

"Oh, well, you see..." said Jeremie, not entirely sure how to reply. If he helped her, he'd lose her. But if he didn't, she'd be unhappy. "You could just tell them, I-I guess."

"I tried, but things keep getting in the way," said Aelita, not making eye contact. "And I don't know if he likes me the same way."

"Aelita, the guy would be an idiot if he didn't like you too," said Jeremie. "But, are you sure you're in love with him?"

"I'm pretty sure," answered Aelita.

Jeremie's face was solemn, and Aelita noticed. Did he know? Was she that obvious? Was she going to blurt it out right here and now? Maybe it was time to follow the girls' plan and be more flirty. But what about the girl he was in love with? What if it wasn't her?

"We better get going," said Jeremie after two minutes of no speaking.

"Yeah, you're right," replied Aelita.

Jeremie pulled a few euros out of his wallet and set them on the table. Aelita set her hands lightly on his shoulders, making him gasp. He turned his head and she caught his lips, holding them for only a moment before stepping back and winking at him, then walking over to the exit and motioning for him to follow. If that wasn't flirtatious, she didn't know what was.

Jeremie nodded shakily, blushing darkly. He was beginning to think that maybe, _just _maybe, Aelita liked him as, well, more than a friend.


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Code Lyoko

Chapter 14

Aelita folded her arms and set her head on top, ready to take a nap on her history homework. It had been a week since that awkward cup of coffee, and in that week, she had reluctantly flirted with four other boys. Every time, Jeremie's thoughts on this were unclear. When she tried talking to him, he avoided the subject completely.

It was getting harder and harder to tell how Jeremie felt about her. He had said he was in love, but he didn't say who with. Jeremie was smart and handsome and kind, what girl wouldn't want him? Aelita didn't desire to be selfish, but it felt like _she_ was the one he should be with. She blushed as this crossed her mind, but frowned when she thought about how he might not feel the same way.

She reminisced, just for a moment, the feeling of his arms around her. It truly felt like he did love her when they were like that. If she could just _say_ it, she'd feel like that all the time. What was stopping her?

* * *

"Not on your life."

"Jeremie, come on," pleaded Odd. "It's the perfect thing!"

"No!" yelled Jeremie. "I am not doing that!"

"Einstein, it's simple!" said Ulrich. "I'm surprised we didn't think of it sooner."

"And just how is it simple?" asked Jeremie.

"You activate a tower and tell Aelita Xana's attacking," said Odd. "You fake order Ulrich to stay at the school and keep watch, while I come with you two, since we never let Aelita go to Lyoko alone. You said that you still have those robots that are trained to fetch a ball, right? And that you can program them to shoot lasers?"

"Yes, but I'm not doing it!" exclaimed Jeremie.

"We just pretend Xana possessed them," said Odd. "Ulrich will control them from behind a tree, you'll have to teach him how, and he'll make a couple of close shaves at you. Aelita panics, you act like you got hit and fall to the ground, she says she could never live without you, blah blah blah, you're dating. Told you it was simple."

"Do you hear yourself?" asked Jeremie doubtfully.

"Work with us, Einstein," said Ulrich. "It's not like we can get the other guys' help without blowing the whole Lyoko thing."

"Jeremie, Aelita's going to think this is just another attack," said Odd. "It's not like she'll find out you're pretending."

"For some odd reason, I think that's exactly what will happen," retorted Jeremie. "Faking like Xana nearly killed me? I don't think so."

"Just give it a chance!" begged Ulrich. "Nothing brings two people together like tragedy!"

"You know, usually it's _real_ tragedy!" argued Jeremie.

"And usually, a person doesn't go through over a year and a half of trying to tell a certain someone how they feel!" replied Odd. "What have you got to lose?"

Jeremie frowned, not knowing anything else to say. He had compromised nearly everything in his attempts to woo Aelita. His health, his happiness, not to mention his dignity. What else could go wrong?

"Fine," said Jeremie hesitantly. "I'll do it."

Ulrich and Odd whooped and Jeremie rolled his eyes, smirking. Something in the back of his mind was telling him this would not bode well.

* * *

"Ulrich, how're you doing with the robot?" asked Jeremie, turning around in his chair.

"I've got it," said Ulrich, flipping switches and pressing buttons at random on the remote control for Jeremie's newly modified robot. "I think I have the hang of-woah!"

Jeremie flinched as he saw a bright flash of red light. Ulrich swore loudly and Odd snickered.

"Thanks, Ulrich," said Jeremie, shaking his head. "You just shot a hole through my science homework."

"Ugh, maybe I need some more practice," said Ulrich, grinning apologetically.

"Yeah, that would be a good idea," said Jeremie. "But we don't have a lot of time left, so we'll cross our fingers. I'm activating the tower...now."

A tower activation alert window popped up on the screen and Jeremie whipped out his mobile.

"Aelita, Xana's attacking," said Jeremie, trying to sound strained like he usually did. "I don't know what he's planning, but I'm honestly not very eager to find out. Head to the factory, I'm keeping Ulrich at school to defend the home front."

Jeremie stood up to face the other two, looking pale.

"What's wrong?" asked Ulrich. "Didn't she believe you?"

"Yeah, but that's the problem," said Jeremie grimly. "I hate lying to her."

"Don't worry about it, the end justifies the means, right?" offered Odd. "Come on, let's go."

Jeremie nodded, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He followed them out of the room. A few minutes later, a second window came up on his computer screen. It also showed a glowing tower. However, Jeremie wasn't the one activating it.

* * *

"Jeremie!" called out Aelita, stopping in her tracks as she saw the two racing boys dashing through the forest. "Odd!"

"Aelita!" replied Jeremie, running over to her. "Have you seen anything?"

"Nope," answered Aelita. "Come on, we're almost halfway there-"

She was cut short by a whizzing sound, followed by a small mechanism coming out from behind a tree.

"J-Jeremie, why is your robot out here?" asked Aelita nervously.

"I've got a funny feeling Xana's behind this," said Odd, backing away. Aelita agreed, but couldn't help noticing that there was no Xana symbol anywhere on it.

Ulrich tried his best to work the infernal contraption, and was able to pull off a decent job so far. It shocked him abruptly and he yelled out from behind a nearby bush. He stumbled back a few feet and he tripped, landing in a heap, unable to get up for the moment. On the bright side, at least Aelita hadn't seen. On the other hand, he hadn't seen a certain sign start to flicker on a small screen on the back of the robot.

"Jeremie, what was that?" asked Aelita, hearing the cry but not identifying the source.

"I, I don't know," said Jeremie. If Ulrich wasn't working the robot, then why was it still moving around, rather expertly at that?

"Einstein, heads up!" warned Odd, watching the robot powering up a red light. Aelita watched in slow motion as it fired, the Xana eye flashing, and Jeremie crumpling to the ground.

At first she just stared. Then she fell down next to him, shaking him by the shoulders. She shook him harder and harder, letting out dry sobs every few seconds, too surprised to feel miserable, until he sat up suddenly, his eyes still closed.

"How'd you survive that?" asked Odd in awe, not able to make a joke. Jeremie slowly rose to his feet, brushing himself off, but not saying a word. He opened his eyes. "Oh, no."

Jeremie frowned, one of the most hated symbols pulsing where his pupils should have been. He bared his teeth and took a fighting stance, staring daggers at Odd.

"Aelita, I'm gonna try and hold him off, get to the factory!" ordered Odd, beckoning Jeremie closer. Aelita didn't move, she just continued watching. "Aelita, run!"

Aelita stayed rooted to the ground, watching Jeremie bring Odd down in a few blows. She was shaken out of her shock when he turned his head to her. Jeremie grunted and she started backing away, but he grabbed her by the elbows.

"Jeremie, listen to me-" said Aelita quickly, but the last thing she saw before she blacked out was the electricity shooting out of his fingertips.

Jeremie heaved Aelita over his shoulder and started making his way to the factory, skipping the shortcut through the sewers all together. Xana obviously didn't want to go through the hassle. They were confronted soon enough.

"Belpois!" roared Jim, blocking their path abruptly. "What happened to Stones?"

"She got tired, sir," answered Jeremie politely.

"Since when do you have the muscles to carry her?" asked Jim. Jeremie stammered, trying to think up something to make Jim leave. "I'm just messing with you. You know, love has done some crazy things for me, too. But, then again, I'd rather not talk about it."

"Uh, that's great Jim, but I better get going, see you later!" said Jeremie, already sprinting away.

He made it to the bridge without anymore encounters, but realized that Aelita was wriggling out of his grasp. Jeremie lifted her off his shoulder and in front of him, one hand holding her off the ground, blue light dancing around the other.

"Jeremie, I know you're in there somewhere!" said Aelita fearfully, attempting to keep her gaze on his face and not on his now lethal left hand. "Xana is the enemy, remember? Please, I'm begging you!"

Jeremie's expression didn't change. Aelita braced herself as his hand got closer, but instead felt her feet touch the ground. Jeremie was kneeling on the bridge, his head down. Aelita looked behind him but saw no one else, so it couldn't have been Odd or Ulrich.

"G-Go," said Jeremie, raising his head. He pointed at the limp ropes. Aelita smiled at the piercing blue irises she adored, even though she knew they wouldn't be there for long. "Go!"

Aelita swung out on the rope, landed in front of the elevator gracefully. She glanced back up at the bridge and heard Xana fighting for control. She knew she had to move fast. She started up the virtualization process and stepped into a scanner.

* * *

"Ulrich, you take care of Jeremie, I'll help Aelita out on Lyoko, since she still thinks you're at school," said Odd seriously.

"Wow, some pretty good thinking in that hair gel-filled head," teased Ulrich, pushing the skateboard faster through the sewers.

"Ha ha, very funny," retorted Odd, sticking his tongue out. "Watch yourself, you hear? Last time Einstein got possessed by Xana, I nearly got fried."

"Must be because you're so scraw-I mean-svelte," said Ulrich, smirking.

* * *

Jeremie hopped into his chair and typed faster than he ever had before. Having a computer virus controlling your every move had its advantages, in a way. His mouth twisted into an evil smile as he watched Aelita running to the tower and called up the Scyphozoa.

"Wow, Ulrich, he doesn't look happy," said a voice from behind. Jeremie frowned and swiveled the chair around. Odd was standing with his arms crossed while Ulrich came darting out. "Good luck, buddy!"

"You know, Jeremie, you really do spend too much time on the computer," said Ulrich, blocking the monitor. "It definitely won't help you with Aelita."

Jeremie growled and pushed him roughly to the ground. Ulrich grabbed a spare piece of metal and managed to knock Jeremie out with it temporarily.

"Odd!" yelled Ulrich into the headset. "I"m gonna try and get you to Lyoko, just bear with me."

"Okay, but don't land me in the Digital Sea!" warned Odd, chuckling as he walked into the golden cylinder in front of him.

"Not. Helping!" said Ulrich,his fingers shaking over the keys. "T-Transfer, Odd. Scanner, Odd. V-Virtualization!"

Odd plummeted into the icy tundra of Lyoko. He saw a blur of pink ahead and cupped his paws around his mouth.

"Aelita!" yelled Odd, running forward. She turned around and waved.

"Odd, how'd you get past Jeremie?" asked Aelita, waiting for him to catch up.

"I have my ways," said Odd vaguely.

"The tower is west," said Aelita, pointing to the glowing figure.

They sprinted in its direction until Aelita halted. She had spotted something green out of the corner of her eye. She turned around, and saw...a green tower.

"Odd, why is there a tower that was activated from Earth?" asked Aelita, not moving. Odd grimaced.

"I'm not sure...maybe Lyoko is having a few glitches," said Odd. "We better deactivate the real one, though. If we don't hurry, Jeremie could hurt himself."

This made Aelita stop wondering and start running to the red tower again. A sting in her shoulder alerted her of two tarantulas that were guarding it. Odd nodded to her and she hid behind a glacier while he took care of them.

"Okay, Princess, bring Einstein back!" hollered Odd, watching her enter the tower. He smiled at a job well done.

* * *

Ulrich felt perspiration beading on his forehead as he tried to keep Jeremie away from the computer. The raging genius lunged at him and Ulrich braced himself, but felt nothing. Jeremie had frozen and place, and Ulrich sighed with relief.

"Way to go, guys," said Ulrich thankfully, watching Jeremie wobble. "Jeremie, are you okay?"

"Ugh, w-what happened?" asked Jeremie, holding his head in his hands. Ulrich helped him steady himself, peering at his eyes just to make sure. Blue eyes. At least he didn't pass out like most ex-Xanified victims.

"Xana got to you, but I don't know how," answered Ulrich. "You think you can bring Odd and Aelita back in?"

"Sure," said Jeremie. The pounding in his head made it hard, but he started the devirtualization program. "Odd? Aelita?"

"Jeremie?" asked the two.

"I'm bringing you back to Earth," said Jeremie. Everything was still jumbled up in his head, so he couldn't remember a thing after getting hit by his robot, let alone figure out why Odd and Aelita were on Lyoko.

* * *

Aelita fell panting out of the scanner, but she didn't waste time trying to catch her breath. She darted to the elevator; Odd was lucky to have made it.

"Impatient, are we?" asked Odd, smirking. Aelita smiled but gave no verbal answer. She squeezed through the doors while they were still opening and was at Jeremie's side in a moment.

"Are you okay?" asked Aelita nervously, squishing him in a brief hug.

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Jeremie, still woozy. "I'm just a little confused. What happened?"

"Well, your robot started attacking us in the forest," explained Aelita. "It shot you-"

"Which, by the way, made Aelita freak out like crazy," pointed out Odd. Aelita glared at him then continued.

"-and you fell down," said Aelita. She added, with a more choked-up voice. "We thought you were dead."

"You stood up a few seconds later," said Odd. "Then we realized you went to the dark side. You took me out then delivered Aelita to Lyoko."

"Really?" asked Jeremie, his eyes wide. Aelita pondered whether she should tell him what actually occurred, but decided against it. For now. The fact that he was the only one who had ever actually fought against Xana's control, and won, was still a huge surprise to her.

"Really," lied Aelita. "But at least you're back."

"I can't believe this," muttered Jeremie. Xanafied people always hurt others. He already must have shocked Aelita and nailed Odd, which was bad enough. What else did he do?

"Well, it's over, and you should rest," said Aelita. "You didn't black out after I deactivated the tower, so you're most likely exhausted. Come on, let's get you to your room."

"Hey, Einstein, you're not guilty because you nearly killed Odd and Aelita, are you?" asked Ulrich.

"Well, yeah," said Jeremie. "Aelita, are you sure you're okay?"

"Hey, she just got shocked!" said Odd. "You went all black belt on me!"

"And me!" said Ulrich.

"I"m fine," said Aelita, laughing. "You're the one who needs to be cared for."

Jeremie blushed and followed them out of the elevator. He could use a nap right now. He'd need his energy for the next _brilliant _plan Odd and Ulrich cooked up for him to win over Aelita, since this one had turned out so well.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.

Chapter 15

Aelita looked over at Jeremie's sleeping form. She had insisted to stay in case something happened to him. Ulrich and Odd had only encouraged her between snickers. Aelita was still very grateful for what he did on the bridge, and while she knew that this didn't fully express her thanks, it was all she could think of at the moment.

A shrill beeping made her jump and turn to the computer. A bright red exclamation point was flashing. Aelita pressed a few keys to find the problem, and her face paled.

"Jere-" started Aelita, but she faltered. The more she read, the worse it got.

She glanced at the snoozing boy behind her. Him fighting Xana apparently had its side effects. In those few seconds when the virus wasn't inside him, the scanner memory became royally messed up. Jeremie was erased from it. Now he was just as vulnerable as anyone outside the gang during a Return To The Past. Meaning, he wouldn't remember a thing.

That gave her an idea.

Aelita closed out the windows and looked back at Jeremie, a small smile on her lips. The plan she was concocting in her head was very sneaky, but it would give her a leg up in this battle at being more than friends with him. A part of her felt like she should tell Jeremie that something was wrong with him, but she quickly shunned it. She could easily fix the problem and use it to her advantage.

If she could just ask Jeremie whether or not he cared a certain way for her, she could go back in time if he rejected her and salvage their friendship. She'd have an answer and he wouldn't have a clue. It was perfect! Then she would just repair the scanner's memory and all would be well.

"Aelita?" came a voice from behind her. Aelita flinched and turned around.

"I see you're awake," said Aelita warmly.

"Yeah," said Jeremie, grinning at her. "What are you doing with my computer?" Aelita didn't miss a beat.

"I knew you were going to scan Lyoko, so I did it for you," said Aelita. "All clear."

"Thanks," said Jeremie, surprised. "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to," replied Aelita, sitting next to him on the bed. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine," said Jeremie. "The tower's deactivated, so we have nothing to worry about."

"Right," said Aelita, giving a nervous laugh. "But being possessed by Xana must have been exhausting."

"I guess, but it felt different from last time," said Jeremie thoughtfully.

"Oh?" asked Aelita. "How so?"

"Well, I still mostly remember a black hole," said Jeremie. "But at one point, I dimly remember a few seconds where you and I were on the bridge leading to the factory. It was weird, and it ended suddenly. Then I came back a while later, ready to pass out. That was when you entered the code in the tower."

"That's strange," said Aelita. "Well, you're back. That's what matters."

Jeremie smiled at this. Was it coincidence that the first thing he saw when he woke up was Aelita?

Aelita gazed fondly at him. From his reinstated glasses, to his light blonde hair, to his knowing smile, he seemed perfect in every way. The girls were right, she really did have it bad for him.

"I supposed I better get going," said Aelita, not breaking eye contact.

Jeremie nodded and watched her go out the door. He yawned, fighting an evil program took a lot out of him. But if he had to do it, he was glad it was with Aelita.

* * *

"Naomi, I"m not too sure about this," said Claire worriedly. "This trick rarely ever works."

"Yeah, usually it's used on siblings or best friends," said Heidi. "Not two people who are in love with each other."

"And like you said, it failed, right?" retorted Naomi. "Jeremie and Aelita would be spending much more time together this way, and they could end up blurting it out in the process!"

"Are you sure this won't backfire?" asked Heidi.

"I'm positive!" said Naomi excitedly.

"Alright, we better start setting up, then," said Azra. "We should be ready by tomorrow."

* * *

Aelita walked down the hallway to her dorm, running the plan through her head again. She wasn't going to try it now, not when Jeremie was still rattled up. She'd sleep on it tonight, though, and if Jeremie seemed fine in the morning, she'd act on it.

But, what if he didn't feel the same way? Aelita frowned. What if he just wanted to stay friends? Or stop being friends? He wouldn't remember saying it, but she would. And she'd never forget it.

Aelita clapped her hand to her forehead. Why was she worrying? She was scaring herself so much, she ultimately wouldn't go through with it! She'd never know if she didn't try.

And, the optimistic side of her added, why wouldn't Jeremie return his affections? She'd sat in his lap during that movie at the party, and he didn't complain. He gave her a rose! Theo could have beaten him to a pulp, but he still defended her! Not one of his actions insinuated that he didn't care for her just as much as she did him.

Aelita pushed open the door to her room. Jeremie was already sound asleep along with every other student at Kadic. Well, ten other people were awake plotting, but she didn't know that. It was her time to turn in, and she prayed that all would go well tomorrow.

* * *

Jeremie speared some sausage with his fork and pushed it into his mouth. In truth, he wasn't very hungry, but Aelita wouldn't allow him to not eat after yesterday. Ulrich and Odd bounced ideas off him again for their next plan, and he nodded at appropriate times. Most of it was going in one ear and out the other.

"Hi, everyone," said Aelita, carrying her tray.

"Hi, Aelita," said Odd. "Don't worry, we took care of your boyfriend while you were gone."

Aelita blushed and looked to the side. Jeremie took that as an opportunity to take a swipe at Odd, who laughed.

Jeremie seemed fine to Aelita, so she was glad she had preset the jump back in time. If Jeremie rejected her, she figured she'd be to depressed to do it then. She opened her mouth to ask him, but no sound came out. Great. _Now_ she was shy. _When she had nothing to lose_!

"I wouldn't try the oatmeal," warned Ulrich. "I'm not sure if they added raisins or rocks."

Aelita smiled and nodded, sitting down next to Jeremie. She glanced at him, still beet red, and figured she might as well give him a warning of what was to come. She leaned in and pecked his cheek, letting her lips linger there until she was satisfied with his blush.

"Excuse me, but I'm trying to eat!" teased Odd. Aelita smirked at him. Jeremie slowly finished his toast, his mouth curved in a grin.

* * *

"And King Henry made the law..." drawled the history teacher, while Aelita took notes. She took a deep breath in, and exhaled.

"Jeremie," hissed Aelita, not looking up from her notebook.

"Yes?" asked Jeremie.

"I have something I need to tell you," whispered Aelita.

"What?" asked Jeremie in a hushed tone.

"I love-"

"Stones and Belpois!" roared the teacher, angry at being ignored. "What is so important that you need to talk during my class?"

"Sorry, sir," said both Jeremie and Aelita.

Aelita sighed. She had until 12:00 to tell him and get a reaction before the Return to the Past, and she couldn't risk running over to the factory to delay it and arouse suspicions about her disappearance.

* * *

"You will do a self-portrait of your partner and let it dry overnight," instructed the art teacher, clapping her hands and letting the class get to work.

Aelita and Jeremie naturally paired together. Odd and Ulrich snickered, muttering that Jeremie would only be too happy to pose for Aelita for an entire period. Jeremie made a rather rude retort and grabbed some paint.

"Jeremie?" asked Aelita, mixing up a color for his hair.

"Yes, Aelita?" asked Jeremie, trying to sit still.

"About what I was trying to tell you earlier," said Aelita, starting on his turtleneck. "Do you like me?"

"Of course I like you, Aelita," said Jeremie, startled. "Why would you ask that?"

"No, I mean-" said Aelita, but she was cut off by the art teacher.

"Jeremie, do you want Aelita to get a good grade?" asked Ms. Anderson sharply.

"Y-Yes," said Jeremie, confused.

"Then you have to be more exciting!" said the instructor. "Here."

Ms. Anderson helped Jeremie fix his pose, by making him get off the stool and set one foot on it, then positioning his arms so that his fists were by his head, and he was flexing his muscles. The entire class burst out laughing, Ulrich and Odd the loudest. Even Aelita let slip a silent giggle or two, but hid them behind the easel.

"Don't forget to smile," reminded Ms. Anderson. She gave her attention to Aelita. "Now you have a more interesting subject to paint."

Jeremie waited until the teacher left, then went back to his old pose.

"Oh no, you don't," said Aelita, shaking her brush at him. "I liked that look for you."

"You're kidding," said Jeremie, his eyes widening.

"Please, Jeremie?" asked Aelita, pouting. He wouldn't remember, anyway.

"Aelita," pleaded Jeremie.

"Don't make me bribe you," said Aelita, taking Jeremie aback.

"And just how do you plan to do that?" asked Jeremie curiously.

Aelita set her paints on her easel and grabbed him by the shoulders, bringing her mouth to his ear.

"I have my ways," said Aelita quietly. She could feel the blood racing to his face, and smiled. She left a quick kiss on his cheek and backed away, admiring Jeremie's resumed posture, "Don't forget to smile!"

Jeremie reluctantly grinned, feeling like an idiot. He wondered where she got the power to make him dance like a puppet for him, but didn't dare ask.

Aelita continued painting, giving extra color to his new blush. She completely forgot about interrogating him until after the period ended.

* * *

Aelita nervously glanced at the clock in the cafeteria. Lunch time. 11:45. Fifteen minutes to tell Jeremie she was hopelessly in love with him.

"Jeremie, I need to talk to you outside," said Aelita, standing up.

"Sure, Aelita," said Jeremie. He followed her out the double doors to the courtyard. Ulrich glanced at Odd.

"You think maybe we should stay out of this?" asked Ulrich.

"What kind of mentors would we be if we let Jeremie tough it out on his own?" asked Odd.

"True, let's go," said Ulrich, waiting impatiently for Odd to carry his tray with him. "I say this because I care about you, Odd. You have a food problem!"

"You have a Yumi problem!" shot back Odd. Ulrich blushed and they quietly followed the couple outside.

They found Aelita and Jeremie talking next to a bench. Ulrich and Odd hid behind a hedge, listening closely.

"Jeremie, I want to tell you something, and I need you to give me an honest reaction," said Aelita, wringing her hands.

"Aelita, is something wrong?" asked Jeremie. She ignored his question.

"I love you," said Aelita, blushing intently. Odd's jaw dropped, and Ulrich's eyes grew round. They silently cheered on Jeremie.

Jeremie's senses were overloaded. She said it. The three words he'd always wanted her to say. Why hadn't he seen this coming? She'd been dropping hints all day! And while he could still think, talking was not yet up for discussion.

He'd frozen.

_Damn_.

"Jeremie?" asked Aelita, peering into his eyes. He hadn't moved or said a word. "Jeremie?"

Odd and Ulrich quietly groaned. Hadn't he outgrown this by now? Well, at least he could withstand it when she kissed him, that was a positive. And maybe...maybe they could get Jeremie unfrozen with that!

"Odd, give me something to throw," ordered Ulrich.

"There's a rock right here," said Odd, pointing to it.

"I'm not throwing a rock at Aelita!" replied Ulrich sharply. "Something soft!"

"A dirt ball?" offered Odd. "There'll be a stain, but-"

"Good enough," said Ulrich, watching Aelita anxiously wait for Jeremie to speak.

Ulrich loosely packed a ball of soil, took aim, and hit Aelita between the shoulder blades, knocking her forward.

"What was that for?" asked Odd, gaping at him.

"Look!" hissed Ulrich, pointing at them.

Aelita was pushed so that her lips mashed against Jeremie's. Her eyes were wide open, but she quickly closed them. She could feel Jeremie's mouth moving and smiled. His arms went around her waist, and hers went around his neck.

"Now he's moving," said Ulrich, satisfied. "Once they need to come up for air, he'll have to spill."

"Nice," complimented Odd, nodding.

Aelita heard her watch beep and sighed. 12:00. She opened her eyes and saw the white bubble coming over them. She pulled Jeremie closer to her and waited.

* * *

Jeremie woke up at his computer by the rough shaking of his shoulders. He sat up and put his glasses back on his face, glaring at his intruders.

"What's going on?" asked Jeremie, yawning.

"There was a Return to the Past!" said Ulrich, frowning.

"What are you talking about?" asked Jeremie, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "Did you guys have a bad dream or something?"

"He doesn't remember," murmured Ulrich.

"Wait, isn't there a log that tells you of every Return to the Past on the supercomputer?" asked Odd.

"Yeah, but there was no-" said Jeremie, but they cut him off.

"If you don't believe us, ask Aelita, and even call Yumi!" said Ulrich. Then he smiled. "I guess you don't know what happened between you and Aelita at lunch today, either."

"Let's say there was a jump back in time," said Jeremie, still half-asleep. "What happened?"

"Aelita told you she loved you," said Odd, beaming.

"Yeah, right," scoffed Jeremie, rolling his eyes.

"Why is it so hard for you to believe she might actually like you?" asked Ulrich. "She said she loved you, then you froze!"

"Are you serious?" asked Jeremie, not wanting his hopes to get high.

"Yes!" said Odd. "We were watching! Then Aelita kissed you, which you returned ten fold, might I add, and then the Return to the Past came."

"You really think we would lie about this?" asked Ulrich.

Jeremie sat in his chair, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. This involved the supercomputer and Xana, why would they lie about it? He pulled out his mobile and called Aelita.

"Aelita, could you come over for a few minutes?" asked Jeremie. "Great, see you in a bit."

He hung up and looked back at his friends.

"Gentlemen, it appears we have a problem," said Jeremie solemnly.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.

Chapter 16

Aelita slowly walked to Jeremie's dorm, as if she would receive a death sentence. Love really was blind. So blind she forgot about the three other people still immune to the jumps back in time, and the two who would, of course, spill to Jeremie. Odd and Ulrich couldn't have known it was her, could they?

"Good morning, guys," said Aelita, smiling as she opened the door.

"Aelita, was there a Return to the Past?" asked Jeremie seriously.

"Yes, don't you remember, Jeremie?" asked Aelita, feigning confusion.

"No," said Jeremie, disturbed. This definitely wasn't a joke. "Do you think Xana possessing me may have something to do with it?"

"I'm not sure," lied Aelita. "You should rest, just in case."

"I have to fix it!" said Jeremie, standing up. Aelita shook her head and pushed his shoulders down to seat him in his chair.

"No, I will," said Aelita. "If Xana did this to you, who knows what else he could have done?"

"She has a point, Jeremie," said Ulrich. "We don't call her Mrs. Einstein because she can DJ."

"Fine," resigned Jeremie. "Just keep me posted, okay?"

"Deal," said Aelita, smiling.

"We'll let you have a nap," said Odd, opening the door. "Come on, guys."

The second the door closed Aelita felt like a trap had been sprung on her. She whirled around and saw Ulrich and Odd smirking at her.

"So, you finally confessed to Jeremie," said Odd. "How...convenient for that jump back in time to hit."

Aelita paled.

"Don't worry, we won't say a thing to Einstein," said Ulrich. "On one condition."

"What?" asked Aelita. She didn't want to negotiate, but it seemed she didn't have a choice.

"You tell him how you feel," said Odd firmly. "We all know you love him, you said it yourself." Aelita winced.

"But...what if he doesn't love me?" asked Aelita. "It'll ruin our friendship!"

"Aelita, just trust us on this one," said Ulrich.

"No, let's give her some proof," said Odd thoughtfully. "Aelita, wait here and listen closely."

Aelita did as she was told and the two boys went back into the room. She pressed her ear to the door, hoping no one would see her.

"Jeremie, we'd like to ask you something," said Ulrich.

"That was a quick nap," muttered Jeremie. Aelita grinned.

"If Aelita was to barge in here and say she was in love with you, what would be your response?" asked Odd.

"Well, if I didn't freeze (_Jeremie blushed_) I'd either say it right back or kiss her," answered Jeremie. Aelita's heart pounded so hard she was sure he could hear it. "Why do you ask?"

"Oh, just making sure you didn't mess it up when the time comes," said Ulrich, shrugging. He added, rather loudly, "And I'm sure that time will come _very_ soon."

"If you're trying to get my hopes up again it's not working," said Jeremie. "Aelita could do so much better."

"Here we go again," groaned Odd. "You really need some self esteem."

Aelita frowned. Why would Jeremie say that? Didn't he realize how amazing he was? Apparently not. But she did. And she owed it to him to fix the scanner's memory.

The boys chatted for a few more minutes, but when Ulrich and Odd went out to get Aelita, she had already left.

* * *

"I think we're ready," declared Jean, standing up. "It's 4:00. We still have time."

"Trust me, girls, this will go without a hitch," said Naomi, beaming proudly. "Emily, you know what to do. Melanie, you too."

The two girls stood up and left the room, nodding as they parted. Emily headed for the boy's dorm level, Melanie headed for Aelita's room.

"Aelita, are you ready to finally have Jeremie?" asked Melanie, walking into the pink-haired girl's dorm.

"Um, sure?" said Aelita, caught off guard. What crazy scheme had they cooked up this time?

"Good, follow me," said Melanie.

Aelita was almost afraid of their plan. She hadn't seen Jeremie since earlier that afternoon when she told him that she had fixed all of the problems, and that the Return to the Past was a glitch in the coding.

Melanie led her to a small crowd in the forest. She could hear Naomi calling out to everyone through a megaphone.

"What's going on?" asked Aelita.

"Just stand in the audience and wait for your cue," ordered Melanie.

Aelita slipped through the kids and wormed her way to the front. Naomi was clinking two metal rings together. A magic act?

"Well, next trick!" said Naomi, throwing the rings behind her as she spotted Aelita and Jeremie, who was being pulled up to the front by Emily. "I'll need two volunteers! How about...you! And...you!"

Aelita found Naomi's finger pointing in her direction for the second "you!" She stepped up onto the small stage, and watched Jeremie come up as well. She looked at him as if to ask "What's happening?" He obviously didn't know.

"Okay, for this trick, I will handcuff you together, and get you apart without the key!" said Naomi triumphantly.

Naomi brought their hands together and made them entwine fingers. Aelita and Jeremie blushed while Naomi put a handkerchief over their hands. She put on a show of doing something underneath the cloth, then pulled it off with a flourish.

"Ta-dah!" said Naomi, revealing the pair now chained together. "And now, without a key, I'll free them!"

She placed the handkerchief back over Jeremie and Aelita's hands and put on another show. She brought it back off, but Jeremie and Aelita were still handcuffed by the wrists.

"Uhm," said Naomi, showing a nervousness that Aelita could see was fake. "M-Maybe I should just use the key. Claire?"

Claire walked over to Naomi and pretended to whisper something in her ear. Naomi was able to pull off a scared look.

"Okay, show's over!" said Naomi, clapping her hands together. "Go on, do your homework or something!"

"Um, Naomi, what about us?" asked Aelita, gesturing to herself and Jeremie.

"Yeah, well, Claire kind of...lost the key," said Naomi sheepishly. Aelita glared at her and leaned closer so Jeremie wouldn't hear.

"Worst. Plan. Ever," said Aelita through gritted teeth.

"You'll thank me later," whispered Naomi. She returned to her normal voice. "Sorry, guys, but you'll just have to be stuck together until I can get the key."

Jeremie stared at her. From now on, whenever Emily came within five feet of him, it meant trouble.

"How soon can you get the key?" asked Jeremie meekly.

"Not quite sure," answered Naomi. "Well, bye!"

Naomi ran off before another word could be spoken. Aelita sighed and looked back at Jeremie, who was sporting a look of utmost bewilderment.

"There's no use staying here," said Aelita. "You think we should head back to school?"

"How're we gonna get this past the teachers?" asked Jeremie, pointing at their joined hands. "If Jim finds us, he'll bring out his chainsaw."

"Pull your sleeve down," instructed Aelita, doing the same. She clasped Jeremie's hand in her own and blushed. "It's less noticeable this way."

Jeremie nodded, though surprised. They walked in silence to his dorm and went back to working on the antivirus. They struggled, since it was hard for Jeremie to type with both hands, but managed.

The two skipped dinner, figuring it would be too easy to be found out. They worked until it was called for lights out.

"Good night, Jeremie," said Aelita, smiling sweetly and standing up. She was jerked back when she took a step forward. "Oh, I forgot."

"Me too," said Jeremie. The same thing was on both their minds. "Well, I-I guess you c-could, um, spend the night here, if...if you want."

"Sounds great," said Aelita, nodding.

Of course, they'd have to sleep in their day clothes. Adding the trouble of going to the girl's dorm to get Aelita's nightshirt with the difficulty of trying to change clothes, not including the intense embarrassment that would come out of changing in front of each other proved the task nearly impossible.

Jeremie saved all their work and powered down his computer. They sat down on the bed for an uncomfortable few seconds, then laid down, facing each other.

"Good night, Aelita," said Jeremie nervously.

"Sweet dreams, Jeremie," said Aelita, smiling awkwardly.

Jeremie felt like holding his breath until morning came. He didn't mean to gawk, but couldn't take his eyes off Aelita. Even when under pressure, she was still perfect.

Aelita kept her eyes closed and felt Jeremie's warm breath on her face. His scent was overwhelming. She could feel his gaze on her and pressed her head against her arm to hide her blush.

Jeremie eventually submitted to slumber around the same time as Aelita. Their bodies, far less shy without a conscious mind, cuddled closer.

* * *

Jeremie's noisy alarm clock awoke Aelita, but not its owner. She sat up and glanced at Jeremie. He was sleeping peacefully. She didn't have the heart to bring him out of his dreams. She leaned over him and blindly pressed the snooze button, ready to fall back asleep. Which she did. On top of Jeremie.

When the clock beeped a few minutes later, Jeremie automatically turned it off with his free hand and opened his eyes. Pink. Huh? Jeremie tried to sit up, but something weighed him down. He looked to his right but didn't see Aelita. That's when it hit him.

"A-Aelita?" asked Jeremie, pushing his glasses over his eyes. No doubt about it.

Jeremie didn't want her to wake up while they were like this, so he set her back on the other side of the bed before shaking her by the shoulders.

"Good morning," said Aelita, smiling while she looked up at him.

"Good morning," said Jeremie, now wanting very badly to hold her in his arms.

"How are we going to go to class like this?" asked Aelita, laughing tiredly.

"We could see if Naomi got the key," answered Jeremie. "Maybe she found it between now and last night."

"Okay, let's go visit her," said Aelita. He agreed and helped her up.

Jeremie always set his alarm clock early, so there weren't many students and faculty members to evade. When Aelita knocked on the door and Naomi opened it, she was still in her pajamas.

"Yes?" asked Naomi, rubbing her eyes.

"Do you have the key?" asked Jeremie. Naomi yawned and pulled Aelita closer.

"It depends," whispered Naomi. "Did you tell him?"

"Yes," lied Aelita, blushing on the spot and glancing happily at the confused boy behind her. "But it's easier to hold each other with two free hands."

"Very well," said Naomi, dropping a silver key in Aelita's hands. "Our work is done."

"And I'm a better liar than I thought," said Aelita, a smirk on her face. "See you later."

Aelita enjoyed Naomi's expression of awe while she led Jeremie back to his dorm.

"Aelita, what did you do?" asked Jeremie, watching her turn the key in the lock.

"It's a girl thing," said Aelita simply, rubbing her wrist. Her face turned red. "Uh, Jeremie, a-about what happened with...with you...a-and me last night, um, d-do you think we should, uh, keep this to ourselves?"

"Th-That might be for the best," said Jeremie, the heat burning his cheeks. "I'll see you at breakfast?"

"Yeah," said Aelita, nodding.

She considered kissing him, but felt like it would be too much for one morning. She waved and then left to change into a clean set of clothes.

Jeremie felt relief wash over him as she left. Another crisis handled. He had a feeling she wasn't telling him everything when she explained how she got the key, but he trusted Aelita.

* * *

"Aelita, we had a deal," said Ulrich sternly.

"I realize that, but I got...tied up," said Aelita finally.

"It doesn't matter, Einstein's killing himself trying to impress you," said Odd, shaking his fork at her.

"But he doesn't have to!" said Aelita, pushing her toast in his direction.

"He doesn't know that!" argued Ulrich. "You said you'd tell him!"

"Tell who what?" asked Jeremie, sitting down next to Aelita.

"Nothing," said Aelita quickly. "I'm not that hungry. I'll see you guys later."

"What'd I do wrong?" asked Jeremie, watching her leave.

"It's not your fault," said Odd.

"Say, Jeremie, I came to tell you about another plan earlier this morning," said Ulrich slyly. Jeremie blushed a deep red. "And who do you think I saw sleeping with you? I didn't think you and Aelita would move _that_ fast."

He was rewarded with a cinnamon roll chucked at his head.

"Not funny," said Jeremie. "I never made a single crack about all the times you and Yumi fell asleep together at the factory."

"That's not important!" said Ulrich, crimson.

"What kind of lunatic would try to bombard a person with plans before 6:00 in the morning?" asked Jeremie incredulously.

"We were eager," said Odd simply. "When would you like to try it out?"

"Is never an option?" asked Jeremie.

"No," said the two in unison.

Jeremie sighed.

"Not today," said Jeremie, shaking his head. "Aelita has been through more than enough for one day."

"I can imagine," said Odd, smirking.

"Shut up," replied Jeremie, flushed.

"It works better this way," said Ulrich, shrugging. "If you don't know when it's going to happen, it'll be more effective."

"I suppose I get no hints on what will happen?" asked Jeremie.

"Not a chance," said Odd.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.

**A/N:**This chapter is fluff-stuffed. Read at your own risk.

Chapter 17

Aelita tuned out the boys' conversation as she dumped her tray and went back to her room. She could understand being tricked to go on a double date with him. She could understand getting three hours of detention because he kissed her in public shortly after. But spending the night handcuffed to him only proved that their romance was one for the books.

She was confronted by her teachers before she left the hallway, and braced herself for a severe scolding.

"Aelita, what you did was sneaky and underhanded," said Naomi sternly. Her mouth broke out into a smile. "And I've never had more respect for you until now."

Aelita looked up at them, surprised.

"Thank you?" said Aelita.

"Don't fret, we're not ready to put our next plan in action," said Camille.

"That's good," said Aelita, sighing. "Well, see you later."

The girls nodded and Heidi turned to Camille.

"What do you mean put our next plan into action?" asked Heidi. "We don't _have_ a next plan!"

"Yeah, but Aelita doesn't know that," said Camille, grinning.

* * *

The next day, Odd was nervously pacing around his dorm room.

"Odd, relax!" ordered Ulrich.

"If this doesn't turn out exactly right, Jeremie is gonna kill us in our sleep," said Odd. "You know that, right?"

"How can it not turn out right?" asked Ulrich, shrugging. "This really is fail-safe."

"So, should we do it now?" asked Odd.

"Why not?" asked Ulrich.

Ulrich stood up and went to the girl's dorm. Odd left for the room a few doors down. They didn't forget their supplies.

* * *

Aelita wiped sweat from her brow. Normally science was easy, but Ms. Hertz was really adding on extra work. She groaned. Wasn't flirting with Jeremie complicated enough?

Suddenly, she felt cloth go around her eyes. She yelled in surprise until she felt something sticky go on her mouth. She began to blindly swing her arms around, but strong hands grabbed them and pulled her off the bed, dragging her to the exit.

"Chill, Princess," said a gruff voice. Now Aelita was scared. She didn't know where she was being taken, and her body was so stiff she couldn't even kick in protest.

After a few minutes she was spun around a couple of times. She heard a door swing open and was sat down, but didn't try to fight; she was too dizzy. The cloth was removed from her eyes. She couldn't get a good look at her kidnapper, since the door was shut in her face.

It was pitch black and cold. She wasn't sure if she was still in the school or not. She just wanted to be back where she belonged.

* * *

Jeremie clicked open a file on his computer. He wondered why the antivirus was this hard, why after months of hard work he couldn't free Aelita.

As he typed in a code, he felt a blindfold go around his glasses. He yelped in surprise, but was cut off by something go over his mouth. He had seen enough movies to know it was duck tape.

"You'll be with Princess soon enough," said a deep voice. It sounded vaguely familiar, like it was distorted.

Jeremie tried harder to yell at them. What had they done to Aelita? He fisted his hands and sent them in the direction of the voice, but something bound up his wrists. It felt like rope. Maybe this was Xana's doing. Maybe the super scan got messed up, so he got caught by surprise.

Jeremie was shoved forward, out the door. He tried to fight whatever was taking him, but wasn't strong enough. He was pushed down the hallway, and then came to a stop, only to be spun around and around.

He heard a door open and felt himself fall onto the floor with a thud. The blindfold and rope were taken away and the tape was ripped off his mouth, making his eyes water. Jeremie heard another ripping sound and a female voice yell. A door was shut in front of him, and he saw no more.

While there was no light, he could hear perfectly. What he heard was a soft sobbing next to him. It was a girl.

"H-Hello?" asked Jeremie politely, his voice cracking.

"Who are you?" asked Aelita, not having seen who was thrown in. She scooted back to the wall defensively.

"I'm not one of them," assured Jeremie. "Do you have any idea why we're here?"

"No," said Aelita. "I was just doing Ms. Hertz's assignment, and something went over my eyes and mouth. I ended up here."

"Oh," said Jeremie. Her voice sounded familiar, if not throaty from crying. Perhaps he should try and take her mind off their current problem. "So, you have Ms. Hertz, too?"

"Yeah," said Aelita. At least he was another student. "I always had a knack for science and stuff, but she's laying it on thick."

"True," said Jeremie, nodding even though she couldn't see. "When do you have her?"

"Sixth period," said Aelita, shivering. It was freezing in here! "You?"

"Same," answered Jeremie. There was silence.

So Aelita had seen this person, she just wasn't sure of his identity. She dreamed, just for a moment, that Jeremie would come bursting in to rescue her, but banished the thought. He was most likely slaving over the antivirus. If possible, she would call him, but she had left her cell phone on her desk before she was kidnapped.

"If only he'd come," murmured Aelita, sighing.

"Who'd come?" asked Jeremie.

"Oh, no one," said Aelita embarrassedly. "Just a friend, who's gotten me out of a lot of sticky situations."

"I'm no expert, but from the way it sounds, he seems like more than just a friend," said Jeremie, smiling. Aelita blushed.

"I guess you could say that," said Aelita. "It's just, I'm so used to being around him, now that he's gone, it hurts."

There was a pause while Aelita went red again.

"I'm sorry, I'm not making any sense, am I?" asked Aelita.

"No, I understand how you feel," said Jeremie, resting his head against the wall next to her.

"Got a special girl yourself?" asked Aelita, grinning.

"Not really, more like a big admiration," said Jeremie, shrugging. "I've never had the guts to go out and say it."

"What's she like?" asked Aelita curiously. "Does she go here, too?"

"Yeah, she just recently started attending," answered Jeremie. "But we go a ways back before that. She's...amazing. Full of life and love. And the smartest person I've ever met, but in a good way. So incredibly beautiful, too."

"I can see why it would be hard confessing to a girl like that, then," said Aelita. "Let me guess, she has guys falling at her feet?"

"Only when she knocks the daylights out of them," said Jeremie fondly. "She knows how to take care of herself, that's for certain."

"Sounds like you don't have too much competition," said Aelita. "Why not take the risk? Wait, you don't have a shrine in her honor in your room or anything, do you? Because that might weird her out."

"No," said Jeremie with a chuckle. "I'm one of her best friends; I don't want to ruin that."

"I've heard friendship is the base for a good relationship," said Aelita, quoting Azra.

"Maybe," said Jeremie, trailing off. Why was it so easy to talk to a stranger he couldn't even see? Since when was he so social? And yet, this mystery girl's presence was familiar. "What about your guy? What's special about him?"

"He was my first real friend," said Aelita softly. "You could say before he came into the picture, I was living in my own little world. He's sweet, and kind, and always puts me first. Brilliant, as well, not to mention handsome."

"So you're dating happily?" asked Jeremie.

"I wish," said Aelita wistfully.

"What?" asked Jeremie, surprised. "He sounds like he adores you."

"I think he does, but I could be imagining it," said Aelita. "The negative part of me says that he just feels sorry for me, and he knows that without him I'll go back to my former self."

"Wow," said Jeremie, whistling. "You haven't tried telling him yet, have you?"

"I've tried, loads of times," said Aelita. "Ten other girls even joined up to help me say it. It's been chaos."

"I hear you," said Jeremie. "Two of my friends recruited some other guys to train me to spit it out. Each plan is crazier than the last."

"Sometimes I just wish that it was just him and me, cut off from the rest of the world," said Aelita dreamily. "No one to interfere, whether they're trying to help or hurt."

"Same here," agreed Jeremie. "To spend even an hour with her is Heaven on Earth."

They were so immersed in their conversation, they didn't even recognize each other's voices. They were sitting shoulder to shoulder, chatting like old friends, even though it was strange to them. Aelita inhaled deeply.

"You smell like him," commented Aelita.

"Really?" asked Jeremie, his eyebrows raising. He sniffed. "You smell like her."

"Perhaps it's lack of oxygen," said Aelita. "As far as I can tell, there's no ventilation."

"I don't know how you can see anything in this abyss," said Jeremie.

"Do you think we're getting out soon?" asked Aelita.

"I don't know," said Jeremie. "I heard a lock click after I was shoved in here."

There was silence once more. Jeremie cleared his throat. Aelita perked up, he sounded a lot like Jeremie.

"I'm worried about her," said Jeremie, slouching.

"Why?" asked Aelita. "You said she could take care of herself."

"I know, but while the guy was disabling me, he said I'd be with her soon enough," said Jeremie. "He called her by her nickname."

"What's her nickname?" asked Aelita.

"Princess," said Jeremie, the word tasting sweet as it passed his lips.

"My friends call me that, too," said Aelita.

"Does he call you that?" asked Jeremie.

"Yeah," answered Aelita. "But sometimes when I'm about to leave and we're all alone, I could swear he says 'angel' instead."

"He must really like you," said Jeremie. He remembered all the times he had called Aelita that. He hoped she hadn't heard when he said it.

"I can only hope," said Aelita.

"Give him some time," said Jeremie. "You're really nice, you know. He should be begging on his knees."

"I'm not all that nice," said Aelita, giggling at his comment. "More of a burden than anything else."

"Don't sell yourself short," said Jeremie. "Trust me, it's an awful habit."

Cautiously, Aelita set her head on where she thought his shoulder was. She was tired, and he just reminded her of Jeremie so much. It was comforting.

Jeremie tensed when he felt the sudden weight on his shoulder, but didn't say anything. No, he wasn't relaxed around girls, especially ones he couldn't see. But, she was a lot like Aelita, and that was the person he wanted next to him at the moment.

"So, who's the lucky guy?" asked Jeremie.

"Jeremie," said Aelita, and for a moment Jeremie thought she was talking to him. "Jeremie Belpois. What about you?"

Jeremie's stomach clenched. This had to be some kind of prank, right? Maybe she was talking about one of his cousins with the same name? Then again, he was the only Jeremie Belpois at this school.

"Aelita," said Jeremie. If she could be honest with him, he'd return the favor. "Aelita Stones."

The color drained out of Aelita's face. She had half a mind to jerk her head back up. One of her best friends...Ulrich was practically attached to Yumi, and Odd was interested in Melanie. Could it be?

Aelita yawned and stretched her arms. Her fist hit something on the wall, and partial light entered the room from a flickering light bulb above them. Jeremie looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"It's the janitor's closet on the second floor!" said Jeremie, beaming. "We're still at Kadic!"

"But we're still trapped in here," pointed out Aelita, looking at the button she had hit.

"Yes, but we know more than we used to," said Jeremie, glancing at his companion. "Oh, crap."

"What?" asked Aelita, turning her head to look at him. "Oh."

Jeremie continued to stare at her. He'd blurted out every thought he had about her in mere minutes. Way to go, Einstein. He touched her face with his hands, making sure she was real, and then pulled her into his arms.

"Thank God, you're safe!" cried Jeremie. Though thoroughly embarrassed, his concern for her well being came first.

Aelita buried herself in him. No wonder he smelled like Jeremie. And while she was berating herself for telling him so much, it felt great to be in his embrace. They pulled back and simply gazed at each other, surprised, humiliated, and glad.

"Jeremie," said Aelita, running the back of her fingers over his cheek. "I meant every word I said."

"So did I," replied Jeremie, grabbing her hand.

"Jeremie..."

"Aelita..."

_"I love you."_

Jeremie held his breath. She'd said it. He'd said it. It had taken over a year, nineteen crazed kids determined to make it happen, thirteen plans including this one, and two "surprises," but they did it. Once wasn't enough.

"I love you, Aelita," repeated Jeremie. Seeing her face light up was the greatest satisfaction.

Jeremie leaned forward to capture her lips, more nervous than ever. The fact that Aelita didn't back away, but instead moved forward, was a confidence booster. The kiss was perfect, better than he could have imagined.

It wasn't just one kiss, either. They took a gulp of air every minute or so, getting used to each other. Aelita kept her arms tight around Jeremie's neck, while Jeremie's hands traveled over her back. When one quick breath simply wouldn't cut it anymore, they rested their heads on each other's shoulders.

"So, I'm not the only one with irritating mentors?" asked Aelita, breathing heavily.

"I guess not," said Jeremie, holding her firmly. "When did yours turn up?"

"Remember when I came into the cafeteria with that gunk on my face?" asked Aelita. "Their first idea."

"You look beautiful with or without it," said Jeremie warmly.

"What about you?" asked Aelita, blushing.

"Remember right after the first Theo incident?" asked Jeremie. "Odd and Ulrich rounded up some other guys and got rid of my glasses, and forced me to wear cologne."

"So_that's_ what that was!" exclaimed Aelita. She turned red. "Er, no offense."

"None taken, I didn't like it that much," said Jeremie, smiling. "Let's see, there was Ulrich and Odd, of course, Romain, Bastien, Jean-Baptiste, Christophe, Alexandre, Thomas...oh, and William."

"How did Ulrich manage to not rip his head off?" asked Aelita in astonishment.

"Beats me," said Jeremie, running his hand through her hair. "Who taught you?"

"Let's see," said Aelita. "Melanie, Azra, Camille, Heidi, Claire, Jean, Naomi, Emily, Lola, and, um, Sissi."

"_Sissi?_" asked Jeremie incredulously. "I don't know how you survived."

Aelita smiled and kissed his neck, feeling him shiver. Jeremie moved back and kissed her mouth. Aelita grabbed his shoulders and pinned him back against the wall, deepening it. Jeremie got over his shock and continued to caress her gently.

Sure, a janitor's closet wasn't the most romantic place in the world. But neither Jeremie nor Aelita were very picky. It was hours before the door finally opened. Odd and Ulrich looked inside, finding Jeremie and Aelita sound asleep in a corner.

"Looks like we finally did it," said Ulrich, smiling. "It's too bad we had to pretend to kidnap them."

"Yeah, but good call on disguising our voices," said Odd. "I think they'd be more comfortable in Jeremie's room."

"I think you're right," agreed Ulrich. "Let's hurry, before Jim catches us."

Ulrich picked up Aelita, who clung to Jeremie. Odd sighed,muttering something about the beauty of puppy love, before pulling Jeremie out. Ulrich looked around, then whistled, calling out Alexandre and Thomas. They provided great help in carrying the two back to Jeremie's dorm.

"Thanks, guys," said Ulrich. They nodded and left. He and Odd looked back at the new couple, arms already wrapped around each other on the bed. "Sweet dreams, you two."

"Once again, we play the silent heroes," sighed Odd.

"It was for two friends," said Ulrich, shrugging. "And don't tell me you don't find them adorable."

"Can't help but agree with you there," said Odd. "But admit it, love blossoms every other day."

"And dies the next," corrected Ulrich. "I think we've got a solid match here."


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Code Lyoko.

Chapter 18

Aelita opened her eyes. So it was just a dream? It seemed so real! However, when she looked around, it wasn't her dorm. It was Jeremie's.

"Hi, Princess."

Aelita's gaze darted to her right. Jeremie was propped up on one elbow, smiling at her like he'd won the Nobel Prize. It wasn't a dream.

"Hi, Jeremie," said Aelita, grinning at him.

"I love you," said Jeremie, using his other hand to rub her side.

"I love you, too," said Aelita warmly. "How'd we get here?"

"I've got a hunch Ulrich and Odd had something to do with it,"said Jeremie. "I called them, and they admitted that they 'kidnapped' us."

"Oh," said Aelita. "When would you like to kill them?"

"Any time is fine with me," said Jeremie. Aelita laughed.

She curled up next to Jeremie, hugging him tightly, as if she'd never see him again if she let go. Jeremie blushed, still trying to comprehend that he was dating an angel. He kissed the top of her head and stroked her back.

"I wish I would have told you sooner," admitted Aelita, sinking into Jeremie.

"It's not your fault, I wanted to tell you, too," said Jeremie. "I was afraid, though."

"Why?" asked Aelita, looking up at him.

"You don't know how perfect you are, Aelita," said Jeremie, sighing. "I never thought I'd stand a chance against the thousands of guys who'd kill to have you."

"Really?" asked Aelita, surprised. "I was afraid, too."

"Of what?" asked Jeremie.

"You heard what I said in the closet," said Aelita sadly. "It felt like you were just being nice to me sometimes. You knew that if you rejected me, I'd probably throw myself into the Digital Sea."

"I'd never want that to happen to you," said Jeremie, holding her tighter. "And I'd never reject you."

Aelita was comforted by what he said, and "rewarded" him with a kiss.

"There's one bright side to my teachers," said Jeremie, smiling.

"What?" asked Aelita.

"I can still talk after you kiss me," answered Jeremie.

"I'm glad," said Aelita, squeezing him. "How many plans did you go through?"

"Counting the closet?" asked Jeremie. "I got to plan F, which is strange, since I only remember five."

"Same for me, I got to plan G, but I only remember six," said Aelita. "After plan D, which was when you helped me after I slapped Theo, they skipped to plan F, which was to get me ready for the Valentine's Day party."

"They skipped between plan A and C for me," said Jeremie.

"What was A and C?" asked Aelita.

"A was contacts and cologne, and C was..." said Jeremie, blushing.

"What was C?" asked Aelita curiously.

"Hitting the gym," mumbled Jeremie. "I guess Ulrich and Odd told you I got into a fight with Theo's friends or something. I nearly got a concussion from an evil treadmill."

"I feel like killing those two all over again," said Aelita. "I was worried sick about you!"

"So, what happened between changing my look and the gym?" said Jeremie thoughtfully.

"What about the fight we got in?" asked Aelita. "About the valentines?"

"Wait, you don't think..." asked Jeremie.

"After everything else they've done? I wouldn't doubt it," said Aelita.

"I'm sorry about that fight," said Jeremie, averting his gaze.

"I shouldn't have gotten so angry with you," apologized Aelita. She turned his face to her. "That's in the past, though. You're my future."

Jeremie smiled and caught her lips with his. Aelita's eyes went wide in surprise. She pulled him closer until her stomach grumbled loudly.

"S-Sorry," said Aelita, blushing in embarrassment.

"It's okay," said Jeremie kindly. "It's already (_Jeremie glanced at his watch_) almost 8:30. We missed dinner."

Aelita nodded. She pulled him with her as she sat up, and rested her head on his chest.

"I love you," said Aelita. It seemed she could never say it enough.

"I love you," said Jeremie. He resumed running his hand over her back, and stroked the sides of her face with the other.

"After plan C, what happened?" inquired Aelita.

"D, which in Odd's words, stood for double date," said Jeremie.

"You knew we would be double dating?" asked Aelita.

"No, Odd said it was one of Melanie's friends," answered Jeremie. "I didn't want to, but they said I'd get dating experience without humiliating myself in front of you."

"That's what Melanie told me!" said Aelita.

"She planned the double date, too?" asked Jeremie.

"No, but she said it was Surprise A," said Aelita, shrugging. "I almost passed out when I realized Odd's friend was you."

"You weren't the only one" said Jeremie, chortling.

So they had both been keeping their fair share of secrets. Aelita knew there'd be more to come. But the fact was, she and Jeremie were a couple. It was worth the work. She'd try her best to be a good girlfriend, but she didn't know much about that. Oh well, she was sure Jeremie would tell her if she was doing something wrong.

"Jeremie, do you think I'll be a good girlfriend?" asked Aelita.

"I have no doubt," said Jeremie, gazing lovingly at her. "I'm just going to try and not mess everything up."

"Jeremie, how could you possibly mess it up?" asked Aelita, looking up at him. "If dating you is half as much fun as flirting with you, you'll do wonderfully."

Jeremie went red at her compliment. He was about to kiss her when he heard a loud knock on his door. Reluctantly, Jeremie let go of Aelita and answered it.

"Belpois, if I were you, I'd make sure Miss Stones was out of your room pretty quick!" roared Jim. "There's no reason for a young lady to be alone in a boy's dorm at night!"

Aelita blushed darkly and walked up behind Jeremie.

"I'll be right out, Jim," promised Aelita. She gave Jeremie a tender kiss on the cheek. "Good night, Jeremie."

Jeremie distractedly touched the place where she kissed him, watching her leave. Jim looked from Jeremie to Aelita, then back to Jeremie.

"I knew it," said Jim, smirking. "You two just make sure to keep it appropriate."

"Y-Yes, sir," stammered Jeremie. He bid the man goodnight and went back to work on the antivirus.

* * *

Odd sat up with a start in the morning, then started cheering.

"Odd, what are you yelling for?" asked Ulrich angrily, throwing a pillow at him.

"We're still alive!" cried Odd. "I don't have a butcher knife in my stomach!"

"Odd!" yelled Ulrich. "Shut up!"

"Forgive me for celebrating the miracle of life!" said Odd, his nose up in the air. "I'm shocked that you aren't happy Einstein and Princess didn't kill us."

"Ugh," said Ulrich.

"Hey, what are you all gloomy for?" asked Odd, frowning. "Is it about Yumi calling last night?"

"How'd you know about that?" asked Ulrich, scowling.

"I know things," said Odd, shrugging. "Now what did she tell you?"

"Her family is staying in Japan for another week," said Ulrich sourly. "Yumi was supposed to come home tomorrow!"

"I know," said Odd. "Einstein won't take this too well. We need Yumi on Lyoko. Good thing he just got together with Aelita."

"Yeah," said Ulrich half-heartedly.

"Oh, buck up, she'll be back soon," said Odd. "In the meantime, let's go eat some breakfast, I haven't eaten in forever!"

Ulrich rolled his eyes and grabbed his towel to take a shower. Jeremie had Aelita, Odd had Melanie, and he was stuck here waiting! Life just wasn't fair sometimes.

* * *

Odd and Ulrich's eyes went wide when they saw Aelita carry a tray piled high with food.

"A little hungry, are we?" asked Ulrich.

"I would have eaten dinner last night, but I was _accidently_ locked in a closet for a few hours," said Aelita, smirking.

"Where's your new beau?" asked Odd, trying to look innocent.

"I'm not sure," said Aelita, munching on an apple.

"You're seriously going to eat all that food?" asked Ulrich disbelievingly.

"Of course not, I'm giving some to Jeremie as well," said Aelita.

"Don't tell me you're going to start feeding each other," said Odd, faking like he was about to vomit.

"Maybe," said Aelita slyly. "And maybe you two should think the next time you kidnap me."

"Einstein told you?" asked Ulrich sheepishly.

"Yes," said Aelita curtly. "I'm not about to let you guys off the hook."

"Morning, everyone," said Jeremie, taking a seat next to Aelita. He actually looked well rested.

"Morning," mumbled Ulrich and Odd.

"What's up with them?" asked Jeremie.

"Oh, it's nothing," said Aelita, kissing him on the cheek. "Have some scrambled eggs."

Jeremie obediently ate, still overcome with happiness. Ulrich and Odd were surprised he was eating full portions, and the skin around his eyes was considerably lighter. If this kept up, he'd look like a normal human being instead of a zombie by the end of the week.

Aelita saw each of her tutors pass by their table, and smiled at every one of them. Even Sissi. Because although she was annoyed with them now, she would not be with Jeremie if it wasn't for them.

Jeremie looked over at Aelita every few seconds. He really was amazed at his own luck. He had always feared the possibility of Aelita being charmed by another guy before he could tell her that he was in love with her. But it didn't look like that was about to happen. As much as he hated to admit it, some credit belonged to his teachers. He never would have built up the nerve if it wasn't for them.

Both silently agreed that the lessons were hard and embarrassing, that they could even have been worse than Xana at some points. But in the strangest ways, they helped. And maybe someday, they could bring the same happiness to another lucky couple.


End file.
